Salvation
by The-Young-Volcano O.o
Summary: His eyes look so hurt, so shocked, so loving… So loving that I can't think. My mind is numb. I feel the pair of eyes tugging at my heart- but the string is so loose, and the bond within so tight that I can almost hear it snapping. My eyes droop slightly, hardening into a look of hatred... because I don't love him.
1. Chapter 1

"_All alone, lost in the abyss, crawling in the dark. _

_Nothing to wet my longing lips, and I wonder where you are. _

_Are you far? Will you come to my rescue?_

_Am I left to die…?_

_But I can't give up on you…_

_I feel you keeping me alive, _

_you are my Salvation. _

_Touch you, taste you, feel you here. _

_I feel you keeping me alive, _

_you are my Salvation. _

_Hold me, heal me, keep me near. _

_My heart will burn for you, _

_It's all I can do…." _

**X-**

I can't wait any longer.

Even thinking her name causes me to cringe in frustration, guilt, and pure pain.

I heard her call my name before I exited the court of the Charred Council. Her tone of voice, the fear, anguish, the broken connections, the heartbreak, and everything inbetween.

And now, I am pacing across the marble floors, restlessly wanting to know, desperately _needing _to know, if she is alright. If she is thinking of me. If she needs my aid.

If she is dead.

"_Damn it!"_ I take my anger out on a chair closest to me. "Zada…" I whisper her name to myself or the thousandth time. "She must be alive… she _must _be…"

Someone bursts through my front door. A small glimmer of hope starts to form. With slight hesitation, I walk down the stairs, only to see Strife standing there.

"Death!" He calls. His voice echoes, bouncing off the walls of my cathedral-like home. When he sees me approaching, he continues, shutting the door behind him. "I cannot wait any longer."

I say nothing.

"I don't sense Veil. I've always been able to, ever since we met, but now I can't. I don't know if she is dead, or-"

"Do not even consider it." I snarl. "And I agree. What of War?"

"He couldn't give a lesser damn." He doesn't know Raven like I know Veil, or you know-"

"_Slow. Your. Speech._" In all reality, I couldn't care less about the speed in which he is speaking; I just didn't particularly want to hear her name.

He ignores me."I need her back…"

"I know. I agree." His eyes light up slightly, but before he can say anything, I continue, "We cannot just stroll in there and take seven humans from them. First, before we even think about breaking any of them out, we'll need supplies. Food, water, potions; they're only humans, and after being in the Council's prison, they will not be in the best shape."

Strife nods. "I say we find War and Fury as well. Bring them into this."

"Very well. You go to their homes and tell them to come here by nightfall, while I think of a plan."

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**Zada**

The sight, the smell, the sounds, even the _feel _of being in that cell makes me want to, in the simplest terms, kill myself. I hate everything about it. Raven and Veil can hardly stand to look at me, because they know they won't be able to help. I must have bones broken, shattered even. Undoubtedly my left femur. Both my arms, without a doubt. Three or four fingers, a rib or two. Though nothing can compare to being humiliated in front of the two in ways I can hardly think about. Nothing can compare to just wanting to end it all with a sharp object.

and _nothing, _can compare to my feelings for Death.

My mind can hardly comprehend how much I need to see him. Sometimes, when put under extreme circumstances, I'll repeat his name to calm myself. If I didn't do that, then I'd be screaming from the pain.

"Z… Zada?" Raven asks shakily. The demon is asleep, so I am safe for the moment.

"I'm here." I say simply. My throat is parched and dry.

"Please…" Veil gasps. She's obviously crying. "J...just hang on a little longer…"

I smile. "Veil, I can't… the pain is too much." Raven buries her face in her hands as Veil cries into her shoulder. "It's alright," I continue on. " Everything will be okay- Strife will come and find you, Veil. You'll be happy, and, Raven, if you can teach War not to be such a blockhead, you could be happy too… Just don't…" I close my eyes. It's becoming more and more difficult to speak. "Don't worry about me…"

"Peach, stop it!"

"Sorry… I'm just tired…" _and hungry. _I finish the statement in my head. Because we're among creatures who don't particularly need sustenance everyday, us human are given food and water once a week. My top priority is to keep Veil and Raven healthy, so I give them what I have. They try and force me to eat, but in my crippled condition, there is not a lot they can do. I refuse, and they always end up eating.

"Zada, just-"

"How is she?" A tired Kyle asks from the jail cell next to us.

"Hi, Kyle," I say with a slightly slurred voice. Each time I breathe, speak, or _move, _I have immense pain.

"She's not doing well," Veil says, her voice cracking. "Now she's talking about…"

"Stop talking about me in third person, dammit!" I hiss quietly, though laugh slightly. "You _really _want to challenge a _cripple?" _

A soft wave of laughter from the other cell echoes in my ears. I smile. "Zada," Daire says. "Y...you can't die… you're in so much pain… and still able to crack a joke and making us laugh… I don't think we can afford to lose you…"

"Meh." I choke out. "I can't do this forever, you know. It's been maybe four months."

"They'll come though…" Veil says. "They'll come soon, I know it."

"It's be a shame if you died, girl." The familiar demonic voice rumbles from behind me. He grabs my broken wrist and pulls me toward him. "Then one of your little friends would be next."

I whimper, not at the extreme pain but more the thought of them being hurt like I have. I close my eyes and wait for the humiliation to be over as soon as possible. When it is, maybe a half-hour later, the demon kicks me in the gut and backs into the shadows once more.

Tears are running down my face as I lie on my stomach, completely still. Veil and Raven both move closer to see that I am still alive. I am, but hardly. I'm losing blood quickly. My limited vision starts to blur.

"Zada!"

Veil's voice echoes through the halls. I gave her a weak smile. "Hi, Cherry. Does it sound like I'm drunk?" I giggle.

She smiles through her tears, but says nothing.

That's when it happens.

Right when I'm least expecting it, at my lowest moment, a white light shines on the wall to my left. If I was dying, I would think the light to be more subtle, and the pain would subside, but it doesn't. So, I must still be alive.

The white light opens a portal. I'm intrigued as two figures step through, but I cannot stay awake long enough to see. I black out.

**A/N: Hi, guys! I was actually going to keep you waiting a little longer :P BUT, I couldn't wait. I wanted to show you this very badly. I hope you like the first chapter. It's a slow start, but the next chapter Is mostly lemons... so I guess that's nice...maybe... *Social awkwardness* **

**I don't own Darksiders, and I give full 100% credit to the bands that wrote the songs that I will be using. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! A long chapter. Though I apologize if it seems to be changing point of view ever 2 seconds. I apologize for not involving Sage and Azzazel all that much in this chapter, for I didn't really know what to put for them. I did with the other three, though, as you will come to find out. **

**Funny thing- as I was typing this dearest KYLE was being a MORON XD Especially with the Purdy minded (Lemon) parts. Never sit in a spinny chair when she's around; you'll probably end up throwing up XD ANYWAY! BYE! (Kyle is watching me write this, if you are curious.) **

**Strife **

I get everyone through the portal. Sage and Azzazel, I sent to Fury's home. Daire I send to mine. Kyley, I send to Death's just as we have discussed it. Then I move to the next cell. Raven goes to War's home alone. I grab Veil's hand, sending her a silent message that we will talk soon, I gently push her through the portal to my home. Before I follow suit, I look down at a horrified Death, who is kneeling before Zada. Her clothes are torn to shreds. She is bleeding from the head, and most of her limbs are swollen.

"Who… _did this?!_" He hisses, being quiet enough not to disturb anyone. I see a demonic pair of eyes in the shadows. I can see nothing else but the outline of its figure. As Death rips its limbs to bloody pieces, I step through the portal.

xxxxxxxx

Veil and Daire are unconscious. I pick them both up gingerly and carry them to my home. Practically kicking the door open, I set Daire on a couch and walk Veil to my bedroom. I set her down, cover her with a blanket, for the weather here is quite cold, and sigh. I run my hand down the length of her face before going to tend to Daire.

I light the fireplace that I already stocked with wood and return to Veil's side. I examine her for any wounds. There are a few minor scrapes and bruises, and her face is red from crying, but besides that there isn't much to worry about. I find the same for Daire.

I set my forehead against her stomach, clasping her hand with both of mine. I'm so helplessly relieved that she is safe. Though Death said after the Council tries to claim their souls, there will be one of three side effects. Either she will sleep for days on end with no reaction, she will be riddled with nightmares and wake up screaming without knowing, then immediately fall back asleep, or she'll wake up normally. I'm hoping for the third, but it turns out to be the first.

She will not react to anything. Daire wakes normally the next day and helps me try to wake her in my state of panic. I even use Mercy and Redemption to wake her with the sound of gunshots. But nothing happens.  
"Give it time, Strife." Daire tells me. "You're one impatient son of a bitch, I'll give you that. She'll wake soon. She's still breathing. Just let her rest."

I sigh, knowing that she is right. I walk with her to my kitchen, which I haven't used for millennia, and watch her make something to eat with the food I purchased from the Maker's Realm as a way to distract myself.

"You need to _calm. Down._" She says impatiently, sitting down on the opposite side of the table from me. "Didn't I overhear that Nephilim are more calm when they find a mate?"

"Yes." I reply. "Death said that."

"Oh! Well, then, he's full of shit. You're restless."

"I am worried for her."

"So am I. Hell, I'm worried about Zada. Apparently she's in bad shape."

"I know… I saw her." I lower my tone of voice slightly. "I only glanced. But without a doubt, half of her bones are broken."

"She's healing now, right?"

"No. She must be conscious to take the healing potion."

She sighs. "I hope she wakes up soon. All of them."

I nod solemnly, grabbing a bottle of alcohol from a cabinet and start chugging it out of dreadful anxiety.

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**Veil**

I wake on a soft bed. For a moment, I imagine myself back at home. The thought is mutual. I stir for a moment and then open my eyes, only to be immediately met by a pair of golden ones a few feet away. Strife gives me a relieved smile, and with slurred words, he says, "Welcome back."

With tears in my eyes, I pull him into a tight embrace. "I- why- Z-"

"You have a lot of questions, I know. I'll do my best to answer them."

"...are you intoxicated?"

"Pfft. _NO!_" He gently punches me in the shoulder. "Silly girl."

"Yeah. You're shit-faced drunk, Strife. Is Zada okay?"

He chuckles. "Ask me something else."  
"Where are we?"

He wraps his arms around my waist, pins me underneath him, and says, "My home."

"Is there anyone else here?" I ask as he runs his teeth over my jugular.

"Daire is in the other room."

I push him away. "You'll have to postpone your intentions, then. How did you get us without disturbing the Council?"

"We went to an angelic scholar- Azzazel- Azrael," He is tripping over his words. "he created a portal that didn't have enough power to disturb them. It only had enough power to get ya and the rest there they needed to see-...be."

I laugh and put my hand over his mouth. "Gotcha."

"I'll be back." He breaks the embrace.

"Don't break anything." I say.

He mutters something along the likes of, "I'll break you."

I laugh as he exits the room. Lying back down, I set my head on the pillow, running my hands over the covers and staring at the ceiling I'm finally safe. Even as I was traveling with him and the others, I wasn't safe. Now I feel like I am, but I'm still anxious. What about Zada? Raven? Kyle, Sage, Azzazel? Are they alright?"

I sigh, not realizing Strife walked in seconds before, drunk as hell, he sets his hand on mine, and I flinch. As he hands me a glass of a substance that, at first glance, looks like water, but then I notice that it has a faint green tint to it. "Drink this." Strife tells me."

I don't question him- secretly hoping it's some kind of alcohol to clear my head- and drink it all. It just tastes like lemon water."What-"

I am cut off by my own ear-piercing scream. The liquid starts to burn in my stomach. My entire body starts to change, to morph, and to hurt horribly. Strife sits down next to me and gathers me in his arms. I scream into his chest. "Shh…" He whispers quietly, running his hands over by back is it too starts to morph and feel much heavier.

Finally as the pain subsides. Strife releases me. "Let me see."

"Why? See what? What did you do to me?"

His eyes are wide as he looks me over. He starts to smile. "We… you look… _different…_"

"I'm seriously about to kick your drunk ass."

"Alright, _alright. _We didn't want any of you to be discovered, so we've given you forms that look Angelic."

"...you didn't."

"You can switch between the two."

I sigh in relief. "Good."

"Why don't you try it? All you have to do is think that you want to be in whichever form."

I do as he says, and my form shifts _much _smaller, until I feel normal again. I sigh in relief and rest myself. "That sucked." I mutter, and he laughs.

"It will come naturally soon."

"Kay. And, Strife?"

"Hmm?"

I pull him into my arms and hug him as tightly as I can. "Love you,"

He smiles, and buries his face in my neck. "And I you."

I lift his head up and kiss him lightly. He chuckles, lunges himself forward, and pins me underneath him. Strife starts to rip the band tee-shirt off of my form. This, I presume, will be a… _pleasant _reunion.

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**Raven**

I wake up, and in fear, sit up immediately. I'm in a small room with three walls, the fourth being open and leading to another room. As I am examining my surroundings, I see War across from me, sitting in a chair and staring intently.

I flinch and look down. "Uh… hello…"

"Hello."

I can't break the gaze as soon as I lock it. "Why- er, where are we?"

"My household."

I cringe and reply blankly, "Oh."

"You each are safe, but spread out through different locations."

"Okay…"

"So you and I are alone."

_Thanks for adding onto the awkward._

"Okay…"

"Now I have a question for you."

"Uh…"

"_How _in the nine hells are you my _mate?_"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to argue about after waking up from imprisonment. What? You honestly think I know?"

"Ignorance." He mutters. "You must've done something I didn't."

"Oh? Well you're a self absorbed jackass!"

War sighs. "We can't get out of this now."  
"Then what do you suppose we do?" I cross my arms. "And if you say something perverted I will kick your ass."

"No," He says, and sits down next to me. "But I do have an idea, if you will let me experiment."

I raise an eyebrow. "I _would _say yes right away, but, 'experiment?'"

He shakes his head in annoyance. "May I try it or not?"

"I don't know. Give it a try."

He sighs, as if to procrastinate. "Well, if I do test this theory, you mustn't start to panic as I've seen Zada do."

"Zada panics when a gust of wind passes her."

"_Raven." _

"Okay, fine. I get it. 'Experiment away, _Horseman._"

What he does next, indeed, makes me panic.

War quickly lunges forward and crushes his lips against mine. I gasp, taken aback, but then try- to _experiment- _return it awkwardly. That's when something clicks. I genuinely kiss him back. He does the same. I try to pull the rest of myself away, but it is no use. War has snapped. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulls me tightly against him, practically so I am sitting on him. I wrap my arms around his neck. I self-consciously want to curl up and die of embarrassment, but I don't have a choice.

He breaks the kiss for a moment so he can shift the way he is sitting, so he is lying on top of me. He sees the what-the-hell-is-happening look on my face, grins, and continues. I start to panic as he pulls me back to a sitting position, breaking the kiss and saying, "I'm labeling this experiment successful." He picks me up and carries me to a different room.

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**Sage**

I wake feeling someone's hand on my shoulder. As a reflex, I grab his wrist tightly and hold it above his head. It's Azzazel. He is snarling in annoyance. Reluctantly, I let his arm go. "Calm down." He snaps.

"I've been in prison for months. You _honestly _expect me to be calm?" I growl. "Now where are we?"

"'I've been in prison for months.' You honestly expect me to know?"

I grit my teeth. It takes all of my self-control not to punch him in the jaw as hard as I possibly can. So instead, I say, "You arrogant, ignorant, pain in my-"

"Will you two stop _bickering?!_" An annoyed, powerful woman's voice mutters. I look behind me and watch as the familiar Horseman walks through the door. She meets Azzazel's eyes, then mine, and rubs her temples. "Oh, brother's. What have you gotten me into…"

"I apologize. We're merely confused." He says. I roll my eyes, sit back in my chair, and cross my arms.

"You are in my home. My two brothers couldn't stand to see you in prison, so, here you are. Though I couldn't care less, really. I am only taking you in for their sake, and with proper training, you'll be out of here soon. So do not make yourselves comfortable."

"Agreed." I mutter.

Fury nods once and walks out of the room. "I'll be back with a form of sustenance for you."

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**Zada**

The nightmares I can hardly bare. If I wanted to, I'd wake up, but I can't. There's this relentless force that is keeping me under the waves of consciousness. My mind, though silent, riddles me with memories of my family, thoughts of Death harming me without reason, or Death being harmed because of me.

When I do wake up, though, after I have a nightmare of Death- well, meeting his death- I am silent. My form is curled into a ball under thick black blankets, and my still broken arms are resting on my chest. I find myself staring at a blank, candlelit wall. The flames gently bounce off the paint. I smile very faintly. I don't know where I am, but at least I'm not in that cell anymore.

I very slowly shift so I am lying on my back. Everything I do causes me immense pain. In curiosity, I pick the blankets up slightly. I'm wearing black leggings, a _tight _black long sleeved shirt, and black socks. I scan the room. The walls appear to be a dark brown with candles sitting everywhere. The door is to my far left, and to my far right is an open doorway, where on the wall is a mirror. I can see a girl staring at me, but she doesn't look like _me-_ though I know she is.

My thick brown hair is falling loosely down my shoulders and back. My face, at least from this distance, looks clear, and not riddled with any impurities besides thousands of scars.

This, while I'm examining myself, is when I hear a familiar contagious laughter.

Tears of joy start to overwhelm me. "KY-" My throat won't allow. It is dry and it hurts to swallow. My ribs start to ache from the sudden movement, along with everything else. Those tears of joy shift to tears of pure agony.

"What was that?" Kyle asks. Suddenly, loud footsteps approach me. I close my eyes and cringe, not knowing who it is. The person bursts through the door to my left, then runs to my side. I open my eyes and see Death.

With a slight whimper and blurry eyes, I set my hand on the side of his face. Still feeling a little loopy, I start to giggle, choking out through my tears, "Y...you have a five o'clock shadow…"

Death chuckles, shakes his head, and sets his forehead on my temple. "_Bilauta, _I want to hug you, to kiss you, and to do _many _other things to you, but I know I cannot. I don't want to hurt you."

I snicker. "Sorry, dear." I say sarcastically. "Your charms will not work too well on a cripple."

As I shift uncomfortably, he reaches over me- somewhat suggestively, I might add- and grabs a circular container filled with neon green liquid, along with two glasses of water.

"Drink each of these, and you will not be described 'cripple' any longer."

"Wait, do you want me to drink them so I won't be crippled, or so your 'charms' will work?"

Death catches His bottom lip between his teeth, raises both of his eyebrows, and says, "We'll see. Now, I suggest you rest immediately after drinking this; either it will cause you great pain, or you will black out. And," He touches the rim of the glass to my far right with his finger. "I recommend drinking this last."

Looking closer, I see that the content of the glass he pointed to has a milky white look to it, and the other has a hint of green. I shrug, assuming they are a form of supplement to get me better sooner. I do as he says, drinking the potion in the circular container first, then the green water, then the white.

Almost immediately after drinking the third, I am out like a light. xxxxxxxx

"She could potentially be _very _angry with me." I hear Death say. His voice sounds more precise, more crisp, than if I heard it before I awoke.

"Why?" Kyle asks. He doesn't reply, and the conversation is over just like that.

I am sleeping on my stomach. Shifting not even an inch, I realize something is very, _very _wrong. My arms and legs feel different, shorter even. I look up at the mirror, and instead of seeing a young woman looking back at me, Isee a menacing black tiger.

I jump back. The reflection jumps back. In confusion, I put my hand up. The tiger does the same with its paw the exact same instant. I see the paw in the corner of my eye. I stare, fascinated as it moves to my command.

I don't know what to think. I feel like I'm inside one of those books about werewolves that I used to live- only now with tigers. I stand up and jump off the bed, only to collapse with a thud. Growling in frustration, I slowly, step-by-step, walk out the open door in search for Death.

Kyle is the first to see me. "_Oh my god!_" She giggles, walking up to me and kneeling down, petting my head. "Death?!"

"What?"

"YOU HAVE A KITTY!"

Death walks in and makes eye contact with me. He leans on the door frame with his arms crossed. "Yes, I do."

"She's adorable! What's her name?"

With a cocky smile, he says, "_Bilauta._"

I bare my teeth and growl at him, as if to say, "I'm _so _going to kick your ass."

"_Bilauta. _Where have I heard that before?"

I walk over to him, stumbling every once and a while. When I am close enough, I throw myself upward and pin him to the wall. He chuckles and scratches my sides. "Hmm. I'm not sure. I've only used the term around _Zada,_" He emphasizes the word, directing it to his room where I walked out.

"Oh. Well, your cat sure does like you."

Only now am I realizing my menacing growl shifted to a pleased purr without me realizing. I tuck my ears back in embarrassment and get off of him. Death can hardly breathe. "This has gone on long enough, I think," He gives me a smug look, whispers something I can't understand, and I switch back to human form. I run my hands through my hair and over my arms thankfully, and say, "I'M GOING TO KILL BOTH OF YOU!" with an annoyed voice.

"What?! Oh. Oh-! Oh…. Oh." Kyle says, as if connecting the pieces together. Then she bursts out laughing, to the point where she falls out of her chair.

Death wraps his arms around my waist. "With two unknown forms, you will be less likely to be found. I did it to protect you… among other things."

"Among _what _other things?" I say through my teeth.

"I also wanted the name '_Bilauta' _to be more accurate…"

I gasp, "I _knew _it!" Dammit, Veil!" Kyle, who had just sat back down in her chair, collapses again.

Death pulls me closer. "What, did you turn them all into cats as well?"

"No," He admits. "It is only you. Though you have an Angelic form, along with the others."

"Okay…" I nod slowly, knowing there will be some kind of catch.

"Though there is one thing you may not be particularly be happy about."

I grit my teeth. "Such as?"

Suddenly, I am forced into the tiger form. "I can also control it."

_...dammit! _I think, lying down and dramatically burying my face in my paws. _You didn't tell me how to control it!_

When I unintentionally start thinking about embarrassing happenings between Death and I, involving the tiger form, I hear him laugh, "I can also hear your thoughts when you are in this form."

I snap my head up. He is chuckling, though staring at me through lust filled eyes. I growl to myself, tucking my ears back and breaking eye contact. I pull my tail between my legs.

Kyle comes and sits next to me, petting the top of my head. "Why, what was she thinking?" She asks Death.

"You do not want to know." He smirks, "Though I _could _tell you-"

_You do realize I have the ability to rip both of your throats out, correct?_

Death laughs and repeats my thoughts to Kyle. She giggles. I play around in my head until I figure out how to change back. As soon as it takes effect, I say, "HA! I _swear, _the both of you are killing me!"

Death smiles and pulls me into his arms. "I'm glad to see you safe."

I cough, "Kiss ass."

"I'm serious. Nothing makes me happier but so see you healthy and happy."

I smile and return the embrace, remembering my nightmares. "Same."

"What-"

"Veil." I gasp, letting him go. "is she okay? Where is she? Where are the others? Are they okay? Do they know i'm alive? Where are _we_?"

"Kyley. I'd like to have a word with Zada. _Alone._"

She laughs, gives a nonchalant "Okay" and walks down the spiral staircase.

Death turns to me. "Veil is safe with Strife. The others are at my brother's homes. They are fine, to my knowledge. They don't know if you're alive or not. And _we,_" he smiles, pinning me against the wall next to the door that leads to his room. "are in my home."

"...I see." When I direct my eyes downward self-consciously, I panic, thinking he'll get the wrong idea, and look to the right. He buries his face in my hair. I keep my head down. "Uh… what time is it? How long have I been unconscious?

"You've been resting for three days and it is approaching night."

I nod absently. He starts to get a bit carried away, so to procrastinate, I ask, "Er, do you mind if I look around for a while? I've been cooped up for want to stretch my legs a little." When I see that stir crazy look in his eyes, I quickly say, "That's not what I meant."

He laughs and replies, "Come."

I follow him down the stairs, realizing his home is a massive cathedral. The floors are marble, huge glass windows at the top, and the roof is probably a quarter mile above my head. I see Kyle in what I'm presuming to be the living room, with headphones over her ears. I can hear the drums through them more clearly as we approach.

Her eyes are closed, so we pass her without disturbing her. Death turns left into another room. "Why do you have a kitchen?" I ask.

"I used to be mortal. Back before I began working for the Council I did have to eat, but now it doesn't have a use- not until you arrived, at least."

"I see."

We don't say much after that. I walk beside him as he shows me hundreds of different rooms, housing weapons, potions, and _thousands _of different books. Interesting for sure, but exhausting. I don't exercise much, therefore making keeping up with him quite difficult. He notices just as we make it back to the living room, where Kyle is still listening to music.

Death chuckles, "Come. You should rest." He offers his hand to lead me up the stairs. This is when I panic.

"Uh…" I stammer. "I-Is that your room, where I've been staying?"

"Yes."

"Oh. That's alright, then, I, Uh, I'll just sleep down here. I don't want to burden you like that."

"What's mine is yours. You're not being a burden." He lowers his tone of voice slightly. "Besides, it's probably best if you sleep in your tiger form. It will take some time for you to get used to it, as opposed to the Angelic form."

Sighing in disapproval, I say, "Alright." cringen and morph into the feline form. I follow Death up the stairs. The second I enter the room, he shuts the door and locks it. I curl up next to the bed and set my head on my paws. As soon as I close my eyes, I'm morphed into my human form against my will.

"What the hell-?"

"You realize I told you that merely to get you in here, correct?"

My face drains of all color. Death grins and walks towards me. In a state of panic,I back away, only to encourage him more when I fall back onto the bed. He laughs at my discomfort and struggle, climbing on top of me. I try to back away, but he's too heavy. He brings his lips to mine. I do, indeed, kiss him back for a mere moment, before pushing him away when he starts to pull at the fabric of my shirt.

"Death." I mean to sound stern, but all that comes out is a prolonged, breathy whisper. "I… uh…" He takes a deep breath, running his hands over my bare back, stomach, and waist. I can hear the fabric tearing. "S…Stop."

"What?" He breathes into my neck.

"I… uhhh… understand your intentions." Each time he moves, chuckles, touch my bare skin, or _breathes, _it jolts my feelings onto a whole new level and makes me want to give in more than anything. My brain feels foggy, my breath quickens.

"Believe me, if you understood my intentions _fully, _you would not be protesting."

"Really? After I've been… raped… and… things..."

He sighs and inwardly cringes. "Zada, I cannot fathom how horrified I am upon hearing that. I didn't know you hadn't been taken… if I had, I swear to you I would've-"

"Yes, yes, I understand." I cut him off when seeing his suggestive hand gestures. "What are you saying?"

Being much more gentle than before, he shifts so my head is resting on the pillow without breaking eye contact. "I'm so glad you are safe…" He rolls on top of me, lightly kissing my collar bone. "And if you'd let me… I'd like to take you as my own… but if you are not ready… then I will not pressure you."

I close my eyes and rest my chin on the top of his forehead, battling in a mental conflict. Eventually, I say, "'I'm me though… and you're _Death…_ I just don't understand."

He opens his eyes. "Listen to me, Zada, and listen well. There's no one, nothing anywhere that I'd want more than _you. _There is nothing I'd rather do than-"

I bring my lips to his in a passionate, unbreakable embrace before I know what I am doing. Death continues to mumble as he kisses me back, "I'm supposing that is a yes…?"

I nod my head. Death grabs onto my shaking hands, steadying them as he covers the both of us with the black blankets. He knows i'm scared. "Zada," He whispers quietly, repeating my two syllable name, as if challenging himself how many times he could say it. I close my eyes, unleashing my anger and frustration on him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! Okay, I apologize for any typos; half of this chapter on paper was written in Runes… So no one could read it… this gives you an idea of how much I dislike people. XD Also, (I'm REALLY hesitant to add this…) Er… Raven posted a video on Youtube of us being morons XD Soooo… If you want here's the link- watch?v=uwS5xRSueUg  
Also, dear Raven wants me to post my first Youtube video tomorrow or Saturday- depends on if we have a snow day Friday. So I might be doing that as well- channel/UCcUSO-engFl5CUVn-aX5Aog**

**Haha… I feel like you guys are sitting there like WHERE'S THE FANFICTION?! XD Well, here you go :D **

**Raven**

I force my eyes open sleepily. I'm staring at a white, blank ceiling. The room is cold. I turn to the side, only for my eyes to meet a pair of closed ones. My heart drops. I run my finger across the length of his face, across the scars marring his imperfect skin. My heart churns in conflict as I wrap locks of his ice white hair around my finger.

I flinch when his eyes crack open. When I break all contact with him, he chuckles and pulls me against him. He gently runs his only hand across my bare back, and says, "Relax." to keep me semi-calm.

I sigh, but say nothing. My self-conscious ways are making this horribly difficult. I am happy about the entire ordeal, no doubt, but the mental barriers I've put up to barricade my heart and feelings are starting to crack. It's not a pleasant feeling, and that is an understatement.

War lifts my head from where it is sitting on his chest. The second we make eye contact, I break the gaze. He brings his lips to my hairline, then my forehead, my temple, my right cheekbone, and finally my lips. I break the kiss.

"Is something troubling you?" He asks very quietly, his voice husky from sleep. I mumble an unintelligible response. "Talk to me."

"I'm-" Hearing my own voice makes me cringe. I shake my head.

"You can tell me..."

"T…this is just all very new."

He rests his forehead on mine. "I'm a Horseman of the Apocalypse. You don't think this is new to me?"

"Uh… well… I didn't…" I stammer, now unable to break his gaze. "You're not… or weren't…"

"You hadn't been taken, neither had I. Not until now."

I close my eyes. "Oh."

"This makes you even more important to me, than if I had shared you with another." My face starts to heat up. He gives me a genuine smile. "I must get up. You, rest. You've had a long night."

I nod my head without protest. I'm exhausted. When War stands, he wraps the white blankets around me and gets dressed. I watch him do so silently, and as he clicks his gauntlet hand into place, I close my eyes. He thinks I have fallen asleep, so he walks over and kisses my forehead, saying nothing. By the time he is long gone, I can still feel the tingling sensation of his lips on the skin. I slowly dip under the quiet waves of consciousness.

When I awake, I sit up with the blankets covering most of myself. Rubbing my eyes, I stand up, picking up the articles of clothing spread across the room that are mine and putting them on. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I comb through my hair with my fingers, since it is tangled and sticking up in random directions. After doing that I make the bed, which is also unsymmetrical.

When I'm done, I sit down and bury my face in my hands. Why did I let myself _do _this? At one moment, we were arguing, and at the next… I'm very confused. Is he just all the sudden okay with this? He hasn't said anything particularly good about it, but since recent events, he hasn't said anything _bad _about it either.

Eventually, I muster my courage and stand up, walking out of the room to find him. I close the door quietly behind me, trying not to draw any attention. For the most part, that failed, because when I turn back around, War is standing there.

I yelp and press my back to the door. "Damn you!" I mutter, putting my hand over my heart.

He chuckles, "Good morning to you too."

"Uh-huh. Sorry, you just scared me."

"I bet I did. Come." He wraps his arm around my shoulders, dragging me next to him.

"Where am I going?"

"You need something to eat, along with the potion to your other form."

"Other form…?"

"A form of security for each of you. We all give you a potion to an angelic form, therefore not drawing attention."

I don't question him, and follow silently. We enter the same room as before, and I sit down in a chair at a small table. War opens a small cabinet, pulling out a bowl with various fruits in it. He sets it down on the table, and goes to pick up a glass of water.

I examine the fruits in the bowl. There are dragon fruit, peaches, kiwis, cherries, and raspberries. I pull apart the dragon fruit as War walks over, putting the glass of unnaturally green water in front of me and then sitting across from me.

Looking him straight in the eye, I drink all of the contents in the glass. That's when the effects start to take place; I hold my breath and grip the glass so tightly that it breaks, slicing my hand multiple times. War walks over, more calm than I would be if it were him, and gently picks the shards out of my hand. The pain doesn't compare to that of my entire body as it moves and shifts, as something starts to pull itself out of my back. I yelp in pain, grabbing War's forearm with my uninjured hand. The pain subsides seconds later.

War looks me over, awestricken. He runs his gauntlet hand over my hair. I move it away. "Knock it off."

"Why?"

"Because I'm already awkward enough."

He chuckles, grabbing my hand and making me stand up. He leads me to a different room, where there is a mirror. I don't have a physical reaction to what I see, but my mind implodes.

My hair is a golden blonde, and much thicker than usual. I'm wearing a tight white long sleeve shirt, along with tight white leggings. There are long pieces of torn fabric hanging from the shirt. Massive, heavy white wings are protruding out of my back, which are making me slouch. They must be thirty pounds each.

"You look beautiful."

"Shut up."

"I don't think I will."

"Do I need to make you?"

He crosses his arms. "Is that a challenge?"

"No! I just want you to stop talking."

He chuckles, wrapping his arms around my now slim waist from behind me. "I don't think I will." He repeats.

"You're an ass."

"That assumption is correct."

I can't help but laugh. He trails a metal finger down the length of my left wing, which sends shivers down my spine, since I've never felt anything with these limbs. War smiles with his eyes closed, burying his face in my long blonde hair. I stare into my green eyes through the mirror, absent mindedly running my hand over his arm. I give a small grin, stroking the bleach white feathers.

"Is every one of us getting this similar form?"

"Yes." His voice vibrates against my neck. My blood runs cold.

"Uh…"

"Why do you ask?"

"...I… I can't…" His presence causes me to forget what I was going to ask. He chuckles loudly, only making the effects worse. "Oh! That's right- Zada has Pteronophobia, that's why I was wondering- it'll be a living hell for her to be in that form."

xxxxxxxx

**Death **

I pull what I think to be Zada closer. Then, I open my eyes, realizing it is a black pillow. "What the hell-?"

I sit up. Zada, in her tiger form, is lying at the foot of the bed, staring at me through piercing green eyes. They say she's confused. Scared, even. I smile. "How did _you _manage to get away from _me?_"

With her head down, she walks over to me and curls up underneath my arm. I grin, meet her innocent eyes, and through a silent message, switch her into human form. She gasps and covers her form with blankets. "Ass." She mutters. I pull her against my chest. She blushes, burying her face in my neck. I close my eyes.

I know I have to tell her I love her. How, though…? I take a deep breath, "I-"

"I l-"

She cuts herself off when she realizes I'm saying it with her. In an attempt to coax it out of her, I ask, "What is it?"

Zada hesitates, but then says, "Nothing. Er, I'll tell you later."

That is exactly what she told me before we were separated.

She wanted to tell me she loved me.

_How the _hell _did I miss it?_

"Death?" She snaps her fingers in front of my eyes when I don't respond. Hers are filled with happiness as she laughs. "Moron. Anyway… you, ehm…" She stammers, pointing to the bathroom. "You said clothes were in there?"

"Yes." I reply absently.

"Uh… okay. I'm going to get dressed."

She shifts into her tiger form. I watch as the black figure walks through the door. She shuts it with her head. As soon as she can't see me, I swing my legs over, sitting properly, and bury my face in my hands. "I _am _a moron…" I chuckle.  
Standing up, I too dress myself and straighten the covers. I blow out the candles that had previously been lighting the room- which are not serving much of a purpose now, since it is light out. When I am finished I stand in the middle of the room, cracking my knuckles. I _have _to tell her.

I almost flinch when she walks through the door. Turning to face her, in the form I fell in love with, I smile as she says, "Hi."

In a quite non-articulate way, I repeat, "Hi."

"Uh…"

I smirk, mocking her with, "Uh…"

"Ehm… I- uh, really… I just wanted to say…"

I wrap my arms around her waist, picking her up so her eyes are level with mine. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Facing my most dangerous enemy, I can handle. But _this… _

"I… uh… l-l… let's go." She pushes me away. "Come on."  
She opens the door and walks out. As soon as she is out of ear's reach, I whisper the three words.

xxxxxxxx

**Zada**

_Idiot, idiot, idiot!_

The voice inside my head screams at me relentlessly for not saying it. I ignore it the best I can. When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I stop dead in my tracks. Utter confusion that makes me want to laugh washes over me.

There is a black chair in front of me, the back so tall I can't see who is sitting in it. The front of it is facing away from me. The person turns around. A mischievous grin is plastered on Kyle's face. She taps the tips of her fingers together, and almost loses it laughing when she sees my look of utter confusion.

_Huh._I think. _Not the weirdest thing I've seen all day- I wonder if she's going to say-_

"I've been expecting you."

I let out a breath of air with a loud 'pfft' and slam the heel of my palm into my forehead. Her laugh makes me laugh. "Dammit, Kyle!"

"Tsk. So," Her grin widens. She spins her chair once, the pushes herself towards me, running into my side, "I see you and Death have… ehm… _assessed _the, _Big Bang Theory, _hmm?"

I give her an annoyed look, saying nothing and switching into tiger form. I growl at her.

"Aww." She giggles, scratching the top of my head. Purely to spite me, she says sarcastically, "Now _who's _a pretty kitty?"

I pounce. The chair falls back, and she collapses onto the marble floor with an echoing _thud. _Her laugher can probably be heard from outside as I pin her shoulders with my paws. I roar in her face playfully.

"What the _hell _is going on?!" Death asks from behind us.

Before I can even think of a sarcastic reply, or any reply, really, Kyle says, "Ooh, you're just in time, Death!"

He chuckles. "What on earth did you say to anger her?"  
"Noooooothing…" she looks at the ground innocently.

_Don't even bother. _I tell him.

_I'll keep that in mind. _

I flinch when his voice rings in my ears. Climbing off Kyle so I don't accidentally dig my claws into her skin, I walk over to Death and bare my teeth. He leans down in front of me, running his hand over my fur. I let out a puff of air in his face. He laughs, and his hand reaches a tuft of my fur on the back of my neck that sends relentless shivers down my spine. When I try to growl, all that comes out is an annoying howl. I shift into human form.

I playfully pretend to rip my hair out, "I'm going to have to kill _all _of you!" quoting one of my favorite Christmas movies.

Death stands up. "I don't think that's possible,_ Bilauta._"

His cocky smile infuriates me in a way. "You know, _dear,_" I hiss. "Sometimes… I just want to give you a big hug… with my hands… around your neck…" I demonstrate jokingly.

He shrugs. "I wouldn't mind that-" He moves my hands to the _low _half of his waist. "-as long as those _hands _were somewhere _else…_"

"You over-confident, stubborn, son of a BI-"

He switches me to my tiger form before I can finish.

Kyle watches from her black chair, and I _swear, _I think I just heard her say, "Ooh, where's the popcorn?" But I can't tell. Looking over to Death with challenging eyes, he crosses his arms.

_I'm going to kick. Your. Ass._

_I'd like to see you try. _He fires back through a mental message. I mentally grin and pounce on him. He tries to merely catch me, but fails ultimately, and tumbles backward. Hitting the ground, he grunts, and I press my snout to his nose.

Staring into his beautiful orange eyes… I slip. _I love you… oh, shit! Sorry! _My head starts to pound in my ears. _Sorry…_

He tries to shift me into my human form, but I refuse it. Tucking my ears back in embarrassment, I bolt out of the room before hearing his reply. _Zada, wait a minute. _

_I'm sorry… I mean- I did- ugh._

He stops replying. I walk into what I think to be the corner of the massive house. Seventy-five percent of the room is windows. I switch into human form, open a window, switch back, and jump out. It looks to be storming out, but instead there is so much ash in the air that it is merely an illusion. I hit the ground with a puff of dust. An endless field of grey stands before me. The residue beneath my feet is only an inch or two deep. Slightly awestricken by the endless beauty, I continue to walk, getting lost in my own thoughts. I meant what I said, and want to express it more than I did. Slightly mad at myself, I am- I wanted the first time I told him to be a good, happy moment. Not me running from him in fear because I didn't know if he'd judge me or not.

I stop when I almost hit my head on a dead tree trunk. Looking in the direction I came, there is a path of footsteps, but nothing else. No house. I'd walked so far it's impossible to see. Letting out a puff of air, I lie down in the ashes and rest my head on my paws.

I spend the rest of my day there. Pacing or sleeping. I want to see him more than anything, I stand up and start running in the direction I came- of course, not leaving without admiring the sunset. As soon as the massive house comes into my sights, I continue on walking. There's a figure standing there in one of the windows, but from where I am, I can't tell who it is. I put my head down and approach the open window.

As soon as I climb through, I switch into human form so Death won't hear my cluttered thoughts. As I brush the ash off of me, Death bursts through the door. Not giving me any time to think anything of it, he pulls me into his arms.

"I love you more than anything on the face of the universe- or any universe, for that matter. Do you understand?"

I tighten my hold on his neck. "Y… yes."

"Good." He meets my eyes for a moment. "Just clarifying."

xxxxxxx

**Sage **

"Come!" Fury yells.

"I rub my eyes. It must be, what, four in the morning? I stretch my arms and get up. I don't need any training- Fury, in a way, already trained me. Instead, I've been helping her train Azzazel, which is not that difficult- he is a fast learner.

Fury walks out of the room she temporarily gave me and goes to wake Azzazel. I walk and stand next to her. "Both of you compose yourselves and meet me upstairs."

I wait for Azzazel, and then we both continue on, saying nothing. Fury is standing there, stirring dark green liquid into two separate glasses of water. "Come. Death wanted me to have you take this."

"Why?" I ask.

"A different form for you. Each of the others will either receive the form in due time, or have already. Now drink; the angelic form will feel very different, therefore requiring another set of training."

Without another word, I down the liquid and start to feel the effects immediately. My head starts to throb, my vision blurs. I grip the side of the table, gently setting the glass down. Looking at Azzazel, I see he is feeling the same effects, but not expressing it as much as I. A full minute later, it fades.

I can feel the wings protruding out of my back, forcing me to slouch. When I move them, there's an odd tingling sensation. I direct my attention to Azzazel, followed by an utter confusion.

His wings are pitch black. While my clothes are bleach white, his are completely black. Why his form looks so different, I don't know, but it sure has Fury angry.

xxxxxxxx

**Veil **

I wake next to a sleeping Strife. He looks so peaceful- I decide not to wake him. He was drunk the last time he was awake- _really _drunk. I hope he didn't intoxicate himself because of me.

I shift ever so slightly, and he snaps into a protective mode. He pulls me to his chest, whispering quietly, "I'm _not _letting you go _ever _again, my love."

"I'm going to kick your ass if you do." I laugh into his chest.

"Hmm… I wouldn't mind if you did."

He chuckles as I drag my lips across his neck. He returns the gesture by running his hands over my bare back lovingly. The both of us get a bit carried away at one point; he tries to flip so I am on top of him, but that results in the both of us tumbling to the ground when the edge of the bed doesn't hold our weight. I land on top of his chest and start laughing.

"What the hell-?" Daire bursts through the door. "..._oh._" She exits just as quickly.

Strife wastes no time and brings his lips to mine. Still laughing, I return the kiss and wrap my arms around his neck. He breaks it and says, "Later, love." He gently kisses my jaw, "We have things to do."

I sigh and climb off of him, taking the blankets with me. "Alright," I reluctantly agree.

He stands up and smirks rather seductively, "This is _not _over." as he walks into a separate room connected to ours.

I say, "Gladly." and grin happily as I get dressed. Just as I'm pulling the band shirt over my head, Strife walks back with a tight black shirt that _really _makes his abs noticeable, along with pants make of black, almost jean-like material.

Ignoring the fact that I am staring at his torso, he says, "Come. You and Daire have a potion to take."  
"What for?"

"Security. Angelic form."

I clamp my hand over my mouth and mumble, "Angelic form?"

"Yes."

"With wings?"

"Well, of course."

"Wings with feathers?"

He raises and eyebrow. "Yes- why do you ask?"

I snicker to myself, Zada crossing my mind. "Oh no…"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello! Sorry for such a long update- I started a new fan fiction, as you can probably see XD So, I've been paying attention to that mostly (Plus, if you've read We Are Not Alone, I have poll up on my profile page for it, and I can't continue much without a response. So if you'd like, check that out).  
Also, I'm going to clear up the phobia names that I use in this chapter so there is no confusion.  
-Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)  
-Pteromerhanophobia (Fear of Flying)  
-Pteronophobia (Fear of Being Tickled By Feathers)  
-Pantophobia (Fear of Everything)  
I probably just saved a bunch of Google searches in the future. XD  
Anyway,  
Let's watch me have a panic attack! Hope you like the chapter, guys. XD**

**Zada**

**_"BLOODY HELL!" _**

Panic rushes through me like a tidal wave. I can hear both Death and Kyle laughing loudly behind me.

_"NOT. FUNNY." _I scream at them, batting the feathers away. _Feathers. Are. TOUCHING. ME. _

"Having fun, Zada?" Kyle giggles.

"SHUT UP!" I squeal in discomfort. "Dammit! DEATH! How do I switch back?!"

He stands up and walks to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I whimper angrily and try to move away. _Feathers. Touching. Me. _"Shh… you must learn to get used to it."

"Used to it?! DEATH! Pteronophobia!"

He laughs. "I know. You must break it- there's a reason why we've given you this form. Just _stay calm._"

Sighing in frustration and defeat, I mutter, _"Fine." _

"Good. Now, Kyley, you try."

She laughs and, while giving me a mocking glare, downs the potion. She yelps in pain, and I do feel slightly bad- but because the Council tried to kill me, my endurance was much more painful and lasted longer. I watch, a bit dumbfounded, as wings sprout of her back and her clothes bleach themselves.

When the transformation ceases, she turns to face me. With a mocking look, she jokingly bats the feather away, "Ahh! Get them off!" She giggles.

"Piss off." I laugh, punching her in the arm, though still in Death's embrace. I try not to flip out when he trails his fingers down my wings. I smile, walk upstairs and stare into the mirror. What I see, I am not happy about. My hair is bleach white, along with my clothes. My scars are gone. Not a single one remains. This is what angers me. Death's scar is gone. That's what has been keeping me sane for _months. _  
"No… no, no, no! DEATH!"

"What?" He walks into the bathroom. "Are you alright?"

"How do I change back?"

"Zada, you must-"

"I know, I know. The feathers, it's fine. I'm having a panic attack. Please, just tell me."

"Okay. Just imagine yourself in the form you want to be in."

I do so, and a sharp pain runs through my entire body as the wings suck themselves into my back. Immediately I look to my arm, and the scar is there. I sigh in relief.

"Why are you panicking?" Death asks.

"I… I thought that scar was gone."

"This one?" He runs his hand over it too. "Why would you panic if it was gone?"

"Because… I, uh, just though.. It reminded me of... you... through… _difficult _times…"

"I see." He replies simply. "I am sorry."

"For which part?" I smirk.

"Both." He is completely serious, dodging the joke completely.

"'Do not worry about that. It only lives in the past.'" I quote what he had previously said.

He smiles and wraps his arms around my waist. "Indeed it does, my love. Indeed it does."

Playfully, I morph into my tiger form and out of his arms. Death spins around and looks down at me. Purely to spite him, I tug on the fabric of his pants with my teeth. He chuckles and leans down, but before he can touch me, I bolt out the door. I can precisely hear his footsteps as he catches up to me. I end up jumping onto his bed and sitting down, perfectly symmetrical within myself. Death walks up to me.

"Tease." He chuckles, climbing on top of me. My amused tiger face turns to loud peals of laughter as he shifts my form. When I compose myself, I kiss him with my hands in his hair. He wraps his arms around my waist, toying with the black fabric of my shirt.

"Zada?" I break the kiss and look to Kyle, who is walking through the door. "Oh! My apologies." She's holding back laughter. As she shuts the door, I swear I can hear her muttering something along the lines of, 'Big Bang Theory'.

"No!" I start laughing. "Damn you, Kyle!"

Death chuckles and brings his lips to my jaw. I can't stop laughing, but all that comes out is quiet wheezes.

This is what I presume to be genuine happiness.

Xxxxxxxx

**Daire **

The Angelic potion must've had a different effect on Veil. It's giving me a rush of energy that no matter what I do, will not subside. Ignoring Strife's warning shouts as he chases after me, I bolt out the large wooden door. The grass is a beautiful kelly green, and pure white clouds hang lazily in the blue sky. The scene reminds me of the Maker's Realm in Darksiders II.

The wings on my back tingle as I move them. Giggling like a schoolgirl **(A/N: Yes, Daire, that was a shot, if you are reading this.)**, I move them up once, and down to the ground as quickly as I can. The air rushes underneath then, and I yelp as I am picked up a good three feet off the ground.

"Daire!" Strife yells. I flap my wings twice, and with the extra momentum, easily tower over the Horseman. I fall to the ground, laughing uncontrollably.

"You must get used to your wings first! Immediately trying to fly is not good for your human health. The rush of energy, anxiety, and excitement, your stronger Angelic mind can handle. Your human mind, however, will-"

Not listening, I shift into my human form, just to see if I can. As soon as I start to see at my own level, I black out.

x-

When I awake I have a mind splitting headache. I move to touch my head, but I then hear a quiet, "Don't."

Shifting my gaze to the right, I see Veil, who is sitting across from me in a chair. She is wearing a smug smile. "I think we should go back to Earth and get you a hearing aid."

I groan in pain and mutter, "Fuck you."

She laughs, "Why didn't you listen?"

"I was on a sugar high."

"Without actually consuming any sugar?"

"Correct."

"Yep. That makes sense!" Veil rolls her eyes. "You'll probably not feel well for the next day or two. You kind of fucked up your head."

"It was already fucked up. I have a voice in the back of my head."

"I think you and Zada should get together and go bowling."

"Why?" I roll on my side, despite the spots in my vision, and pull a random blanket over me. "Does she have a similar problem?"

"Yeah… it's roughly the worse thing ever, because you know you can't have a conversation with any one person without knowing someone else is listening."

I nod in a solemn agreement.

"Get some rest." She says, standing up. "I'm going to find Strife."

xxxxxxxx

**Veil**

After making sure Daire is asleep, I walk into the room Strife and I share. Opening the door, I see him sitting in a chair and staring out a window in the corner of the room. Without breaking my gaze from his back, I silently shut the door and start towards him. With my hand centimeters away from coming into contact with his shoulder, he suddenly grabs onto my wrist. I yelp as he spins me around once so he can wrap his arm around my waist. Losing my balance, I collapse in his arms.

"Hello," His voice is intentionally deeper to sound more seductive. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes to mind. I quickly close it. Strife pulls me closer, gently drawing circles across the small of my back. The sensation sends shivers up my spine. My eyes droop ever so slightly, along with my shoulders and my sense of self defense. I lift my hand up and put it to the side of his face.

"H… Hell- hello…" I stammer, absently lost in his glistening golden eyes.

"Hello."

"Hello."

"How many times _exactly _do you plan on saying 'hello?'"

"Eight." I immediately reply. "It's symmetrical, dammit!"

Strife bobs his head back in laughter. I awkwardly shift so I don't fall off of him as he moves. When he composes himself, his hands slowly move from my waist to the underside of my thigh. I laugh as he brings his lips to my collar bone. I run my hands through his choppy short hair.

And at this split second, I do indeed love my life. I love Strife. I love that I am home where I belong, with him. I love how I don't have to keep Zada sane anymore. Back then, when we were at school, she occupied all of my time and thoughts. I barely scraped by when it came to my grades. And now, I don't have to worry. I'm sure that she and Death are happy where they are, wherever they are. I do want to see her, but I feel like the guilt she's been carrying all her life will return to my mind, haunting me through my own life. I don't want that.

Though, despite my mental conflict, I say, "Strife?"

He grunts in acknowledgement.

"Will we see the others again?"

Hesitantly he lifts his head up. "Of course we will. We must lay low for a while, though. When the Council finds out of your leaving- and trust me, they will- we must keep you hidden. Taking you could potentially cause us to be stripped of our power."

I unintentionally grip the fabric of his shirt in my fist. "No," I choke out in a short breath.

"It's alright." He shifts to we are eye-to-eye. "Nothing will happen to you and I." I break the gaze for a split second, but he moves his eyes into my line of sight, pulling me right back in. "Is that understood?"

I playfully roll my eyes. "Yes,'mother.'"

He picks me up, smirking and saying, "You _might _want to watch your tongue."

"Or what?" He roughly kisses me, pinning me underneath him on his side of the bed. I laugh, spiteing him by tugging on his shirt playfully, then pushing him away to stand up. "I think Im going to get something to eat."

"Oh, _no you don't._" He chuckles, gathering me in his arms. "I'm not letting you out of my sight, _love._"

xxxxxxxx

**Raven**

"HA...! Oh, shit!"

War chuckles at me as I hover in the air above him. I try to keep myself stable, but ultimately failing on every level. He has Chaoseater in his left hand, claiming only to use it if he needed to, quote, "Cut me out of any trees," for there are dead ones everywhere I look. The grass is grey and dead, but the sky is still a, "Zada's hair" blue.

"Are you enjoying yourself up there?" War grins playfully, though completely calm with my distress.

"Shut the bloody hell up, War!"

Hearing his laughter makes me smile… but I'm still in a state of panic! I flap the wings once, shooting high into the air, far past the roof of his two-story home at this point. I yelp when I start to fall again. Only about fourteen feet- roughly half of War's height- from the ground, I flap the white feathery limbs of death once more, only to be taken higher off of the bloody ground.

"Raven." War says calmly.

My panic shows in my tone profoundly, _"WHAT?!"_

"Be calm. Don't worry about hurting yourself. If you do, I have potions."

"Oh, that's PERFECT! Instead of saying that it'll be fine, you just resort to, 'Okay, you'll probably injure yourself, but why don't we all just get high on potions?! WOOO!'"

He buries his face in his right hand. "That's not _exactly _what I said… I don't think it is possible to be… ehm… 'high'... on a health potion- what in the nine hells made you think that?"

"I'm paraphrasing what I assume to be your thoughts."

"Well, to politely correct you, my observation is that you tend to use more complex words when in a stage of fright."

"SHUT THE HELL UP- Fuck!"

I start falling again. This time, before I can return to the skies, War grabs onto my ankle and pulls me downward to his level. I tuck my wings tight to my body when he wraps his right arm around my waist, and with his left, wrapping locks of my blonde hair around his metal encased finger. "Are you calm now?"

Slightly paralyzed- of course, not from my previous traumatizing experience, but more to the feeling of his skin coming into contact with mine- I shake my head. He pulls me closer so we are on the same level and stares into my bloody soul, "Now?"

"You realize you are just prolonging the effects of being in a state of calm?"

"Yes. You are still panicking. Your speech shows it clearly."

"Fuck you."

"Well…" He shrugs. "I wouldn't mind you taking up that job."

I start to laugh, and that almost immediately depletes the stress. Taking a few deep breaths, I look into his completely serious eyes, and start laughing again. "You are such a sarcastic _bastard _when you want to be."

"It runs in the family."

Giggling, I mutter, "That assumption is correct."

He chuckles, setting me down, along with Chaoseater beside me. "Wait here. I will begin your training in melee weaponry fighting."

I stand there awkwardly for maybe ten minutes. Eventually I try to stand perfectly symmetrical- Zada and Veil's OCD rubbed off on me slightly. Suddenly, I hear rustling behind me. I wait five seconds- just as War told me to when I trained in hand-to-hand combat- and then spin around with one arm diagonally in front of my face. The handle of the axe flying at me was stopped by my fragile wrist.

"Very good." War says. I put my hand over my heart. "And…" I hear him mutter before I start to rant.

"Damn you, you scared the fuck out of me!"

Between my words I can hear him mutter something I can't quite repeat without blushing.

"Couldn't you came at me with something a little less intimidating?!"

"In all reality, combat will not _not _be intimidating. This is the very best it will get." When he sees my annoyed, blank stare, he adds, "roughly."

"Alright, alright." He hands me the small, toothpick of an axe compared to Chaoseater. I take it, running my finger across one of the intentionally dulled edges of the double sided blade. "So, who's this little guy? Turmoil-eater?"

He chuckles. "If you'd like it to be."

"I was just being an asshole."

"This is just a hand crafted axe. There is nothing very special about it, but it is yours to use in training- You'll need something more heavy duty to take on anything with actual significance."

"What? Like a training dummy?"

"One more remark like that and you'll become _my _training dummy." His words are not harsh, nor playful. They're one-hundred percent seductive.

My heart is beating so loudly in my ears, and his eyes are distracting me to the point where I forget to reply, my face flushes red without me noticing, and I unintentionally catch my bottom lip between my teeth. He smirks as my mental conflict.

_Now… kiss him! _I think to myself, then start to giggle.

"What?" War asks.

"What? Pfft! Nothing! There couldn't be anything wrong, I'm just fine and dandy-"

He kisses me. _Dammit! Totally called that. _I smile as I do my best to return the gesture. He wraps his arms around my waist, grabbing the hand that is holding the axe he just gave me, and throwing the weapon to the side. I tangle my hands in his bleach white hair as soon as he lifts me up enough to do so. He quietly whispers my name once and carries me back to the house.

xxxxxxxx

**Sage**

_Thump. _

The sound of a throwing knife penetrating a wooden target, right in the middle, bounces off the walls of the large, dull, and roofless training room in Fury's home. The Horseman and I stand on the sidelines, leaning against the East wall and watching Azzazel, who has come quite far in his training in a very short time.

_Thump. _

"Is there anything else worth covering in our human forms?" I ask absently, cracking my knuckles.

"No. As soon as he has this partially mastered, then we will move on to your Angelic forms."

It is quiet for a while. I finally muster the courage to ask something I've been wanting to ask about for days. "Why is Azzazel's Angelic form so…" She understands the rest.

_Thump. _

"In his new form, he is half Angel, half Demon."

I look up at the towering six-eleven woman. "Why- and wouldn't that make him Nephilim?"

"He did not become Nephilim because the potion he was given distinctively separated itself from his half human, half demon blood." She meets my confused eyes, then continues, "Azzazel is the son of the demon, Samael. According to my knowledge of this, 'video game,' that reason why you are here, you know who this is. He knows who this is, but he doesn't _know._"

"I see." I reply simply, turning back and watching as he almost slices a throwing knife in half with another throwing knife.

_Thump. _

"Now tell me this," Fury looks down at me. "Where did _you _learn to fight? _Why _did you learn to fight? Because none of the other humans- at least from what I have heard- are all fully ignorant, compared to you."

"I learned to fight through myself. I didn't train with anyone. And why? The Four Horsemen themselves inspired me to, I suppose- but you, mostly. Plus, when it comes to physical _anything, _you are right that the others are ignorant."

She chuckles slightly. "Now _you _tell me _this,_" I retaliate. "Why did you take us in? We have _no _connection to you, or significance to you, other than the fact that your brothers were to imprison us. Then of course, the three found their mates, and so on and so forth, but what do _you _play in all of this?"

Fury sighs and crosses her arms. "My brothers are all I have. When they need help, and _especially _on this level, then I will help them. To each other, they're sarcastic and cocky when one asks for help." She laughs slightly, clicking her tongue. "That's why they usually come to _me _for help when they need it. On a social level, I am the _least _ignorant."

I tilt my head down slightly. "That's not hard to believe."

Azzazel, who ran out of knives during our conversation, walks up to us. He sticks his hands in his pockets but says nothing. He is indeed panting, but not as much as he would after training when he started. Fury looks up at the sky and says, "…it is getting late. We will work on your flying techniques in the morning. Find something to eat, and get some rest."

Azzazel and I both nod and walk back to the house. I open the door first, letting Azzazel and Fury walk in. I follow suit. I haven't ate a lot since we've gotten here- mostly because I wouldn't want to eat all of it in two days- so mostly my meals consist of pieces of fruit. I sink my teeth into a bright green apple and walk downstairs, carrying my pistol in one hand and a yellow apple in the other.

I sit down on my bed, resting my back against the headboard as I eat my 'dinner'. I hear Azzazel in the room to my right. I think nothing of it, setting my silver, grime-covered pistol on the nightstand. I eat the entire apple, standing up to throw the seeds away. When I start on my second, I see a figure standing in the doorway. As a reflex I grab the pistol and point it at him.

This happens often. Azzazel will come in here to talk to me- well, mostly argue with me- and I will come a trigger-pull away from killing him. Annoyed, I set the pistol down and continue to eat.

"Maybe It'd be best to put the pistol out of reach?" He rolls his yellow eyes, and I narrow mine. How the _hell _did I _not _notice that his eyes are yellow? I mean, I _did, _but I never thought anything of it.

_I'm an idiot._

"Right." I reply simply.

Azzazel sits down in a chair on the complete opposite side of the room. "Your thoughts on training tomorrow?" He asks.

"My thoughts are mutual…" I chuckle once. "I'm glad no one here has acrophobia."

"Or pteromerhanophobia."

"Or Pteronophobia."

"Doesn't Zada have that?"

I roll my eyes. "She has pantophobia."

Azzazel chuckles. "That's very true." I myself have to conceal a laugh. He stands up just as I pop the last of the apple into my mouth and says, "I'm going to get some rest. I'll talk to you in the morning." He leaves without a reply from me. I stand up to throw the apple seeds in a small bucket filled a quarter of the way with them. I rest my heat on the pillow and pull the blankets over me.

Seems pretty peaceful, right? A normal day of learning how to defend for ourselves? Well, buckle your seat belts in this little roller coaster, because this here is where _everything _goes to Hell.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello strangers of the internet!  
So this is now awkward. I hate writing Purdy parts now… Some of you know how old I am now…  
Agggggh.  
I have to post a cover on Youtube this week too.  
THANKS RAVEN.  
Hmmk. I'm done ranting. Until next update! :3  
**

**Azzazel**

Today begins normally. Sage and I get up, eat, and begin our training in angelic form. That's when Fury starts to yell for us to go back to our living quarters, and for sure to be in Angelic form. Confused, we do so silently. I close the door behind me after roughly five minutes of walking there, and listen to the loud conversation above me.

"I had no relevance to the mission whatsoever. Why do you come to me with questions of the missing prisoners?" Fury asks.

A high pitched and raspy voice- much similar to the Watcher's in the court of the Charred Council- rings out, "If the Horseman planned on kidnapping the humans, they certainly wouldn't leave you out of it, Black Rider."

"Indeed. But there has been no mentioning of the Horsemen taking the humans. They have not brought it up since the day they were imprisoned."

"Very well. But, I must look through your home. The Council's orders."

"Lead the way."

I hear nothing for a while. A faint, familiar hissing sounds and it grows louder as it approaches. I back away from the door and sit down. The creature, with eight silted blue eyes, bursts through the door. "Ah, and _who _is this?"

I say nothing as it looks me over, nor react in any way. "The Council sent me to abduct a black angel and a white angel."

"I would've known."

"My sincerest apologies, Panoptos. But this is a secret operation that no one besides me was to know about."

Somewhat reluctantly, it floats out of the room. Fury gives me a short glance, and then follows. Honestly, I couldn't care less about any of this. Prison or not, training or not, it is all the same to me. Sighing, I stand up, roll my shoulders, and open the door. I see no one, or nothing, so I open Sage's room door. She suddenly looks up at me, but doesn't move. "Who was that?" She hardly makes it sound like a question.

"One of the Watchers." I answer quietly. She doesn't reply for a long moment.

"I suppose the forms are serving their purpose."

I chuckle. "You'd think that they would be able to recognize us by our faces."

"You honestly thing that? They don't care about what we look like."

As I nod in agreement, Fury walks through the door. "I thank you for your cooperation. You have the rest of the day to yourselves- I have somewhere to go."

Xxxxxxxx

Zada

I wake up this morning alone. Pulling the blankets closer, I let myself rest for a little longer. When I do decide to get up, I don't see Death anywhere. Walking to the bathroom, I wash my face and comb small tangles out of now brown, wavy hair. Something shining in the sunlight that's coming from the window catches my eye. I look over to it and see a pile of my old things in the corner. I put my hand over my mouth and kneel down in front of them. I see my acoustic guitar case, covered in orange duct tape, a few of my favorite band shirts, a camera with some of my old family videos on it, two boxes of blue and purple hair dye- why, I don't know- and a small turquoise colored scroll. I open it and see a poster of Death that used to hang on my wall. I laugh, wondering why these things are here- and why the five objects are so random. Maybe because Death went back to my home or something? He is a Horseman. He can do things like that I guess.

Regardless, I spend my day, first of all, dying my hair. If it's a different color then my human form won't look the same either. I put streaks if the two colors throughout my hair. As soon as I rinse it all out, I let it dry and take my guitar and camera over to Death's bed. He is still nowhere to be seen, but I do kind of want to spend a little time to myself.

I turn the camera on and click the first video.

"_Welcome!"_ I see my older, autistic brother standing in front of the camera.

My younger self runs into view, with a big brown coat on, light blue jeans, and a pair of original Converse. I wrap my arms around him. _"Wwwwwwwwelcome!"_

"…_I just said that already." _He always had a small lisp.

"_What are you guys doing?" _My mother asks from behind the camera.

"_Camping._" We say in unison.

"_Oh. What are you doing right now?"_

"_Going for a walk. Let's continue on our walk, shall we?" _I giggle, gesturing to the trail in front of us.

"…_That's the part where you're supposed to _go!_"_ My brother starts to pull her.

"_Alright, alright!" _She laughs. _"Signing off for now."_

I shut the camera off and wipe my tear filled eyes.

_Don't dwell on them, Zada._

I jump when I hear the voice. Confused, I ask aloud, "What do you mean?"

_We're in this together, you moron. So shut the god damn camera off and do something productive._

"You don't care."

_I'm right, aren't I?_

Sighing, I do set the camera down and open my guitar case. The shiny black instrument is still in near perfect condition. Happily, I take it out and set it on my lap. I haven't listened to music for _months, _so I don't hesitate to start playing. The music acts like a knife in my hand, which can be used in a good way or a bad one. It brings back bad memories of depression and self harm, but then at the same time it drowns out anxious thoughts that have been in the back of my mind since that December day that I met Death. I let my hair fall over my face, play a little louder to drown out my voice, and sing along.

"_When Rome's in ruins, we are the lions, free of the coliseums. In poison places, we are anti-venom, we're the beginning of the end." _I continue through the entire song. When it is over I bury my face in my hands. 

"This confirms my assumption that putting a musical instrument in _any _woman's hand is a major turn on."

I flinch and almost throw the guitar across the room. Death chuckles at my distress as I put the guitar back in its case and look at him, tapping my fingers on my chin. "Hello."

He walks over to me, sits down, and runs his hand through my semi-dry hair with his forehead pressed against mine, "Hello."

I smile and look down as he cups both of his hands around one of mine. He brings his lips to mine for a short, sweet moment, and glares at me through loving, dangerous orange eyes. I can't read his expression. "I see you've found your things."

"Why are they here?"

"I traveled back to Earth to collect them. Of course, because you are human, back then the only transportation you had was through Serpent Holes. I was able to go there overnight to get them."

"...Where have you been-? I-I mean, I'm just c-curious, er-"

"Fury came this morning with news that the Council is becoming suspicious. All of you are coming here now, for it is the largest house."

I nod slowly without breaking eye contact, setting my hand on his shoulder and running my fingers through his hair. He raises one eyebrow and asks, "Are you alright?"

I nod and gently pull him closer so I can wrap my arms around him. "I'm just not very good at words… and I worry that I won't be able to… e-express…" I sigh and bury my face in his neck. "I'm not good at this."

"What makes you think that?" Death asks quietly.

"Nothing… well nothing different. It's just true- but being like this, in your arms, being able to transfer my body heat to yours and vise versa… it means more to me than anything else…"

He says something that I drown out, intently listening to his rhythmic breathing. He cups his hands behind me and pulls me closer, setting his chin on my hair line. His heartbeat keeps a steady tempo that makes me drowsy. My eyes start to droop, and Death sets my guitar case and camera on the floor, lying down. I slowly look up at him. His eyes are closed as he tangles the bottom of my '_Panic! At The Disco' _shirt in his left hand. He is already taken me, but not to the fullest extent. I was panicking too much. This fact alone drives him _mad. _I can see it when he's talking to me, when I'm talking to him, and _especially _during training. In a way, I feel bad that I just couldn't have been with the one I love then and there. After a few moments of mental conflict, I decide his suffering has gone on long enough.

I set my hands at the bottom half of his spine, shifting into my angel form to be more at his level. He looks up at me. "Are you sure?" He whispers the question uneasily, though I can tell in his voice that he wants me to say yes.

"Shut up." I laugh. "You're going to make me all shy."

Death chuckles, "We certainly wouldn't want that, _Bilauta._" And brings his lips to mine hesitantly, but as soon as they touch, they act as magnets- reluctant to separate once more. "I can't believe…" He mumbles as I pull my arms out of my band shirt. "I could love a mortal so damn much…"

Did you just call me a mortal_?! _My other mind screams. _Bitch, you turned me into a CAT!_

These words make me burst out laughing. I explain what she says to Death, and he too laughs uneasily, and then continues to kiss me. He hunches his back around me, as if to tuck me away from the world around us. I suck my stomach in self-consciously- despite that my stomach still shows my ribs- as he tears my undershirt down the middle. I laugh to myself- this will be the second time he has torn clothing of mine apart, but last time was child's play compared to his roughness now.

Knowing I have tortured him long enough- though wanting him to no lesser degree than that- I slowly move my hands to his belt. He growls, and I instinctively move them. He breaks the kiss for a moment, grinning somewhat evilly as he moves them back. He runs his hands up the length of my arms, stopping when his fingers reach my bra.

As soon as he unsnaps it, he doesn't bother to get it out of the way and moves to my now white leggings. I can feel that familiar anxiety that bubbles inside me, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I won't let my self-conscious ways get the best of me. I whimper in slight pain as he roughly pulls on the skin next to my jugular. I return the gesture by wrapping my fingers around his belt buckle. My hands are shaking, so it does indeed take a moment for it to click out of place. This is when my mind, heart, and every inch of me explodes in longing. No matter what Death's intentions are now, whether to be gentle with me or not- which, I don't think would happen now either way- there is no turning back.

xxxxxxxx

**Veil **

I block an axe coming at my head with the handle of my own. As soon as I do, the dulled blade slides off. I spin around and put my massive knife's blade up to my attacker's neck.

"Fuck!"

"Very good." Strife laughs at Daire's distress. I immediately let her go.

"Sorry." I laugh.

She coughs, "Asshole."

"Come on, try again."

She flicks her wings once, then charges. Giving a quick glance to Strife, I drop the machete when she is close enough, grab her arm, and twist it behind her. "Alright," Strife says, clapping his hands together. "Switch to your human forms."

Both of us do.

Without him having to tell us to begin, we start. I have always been more uncoordinated in my human form. Daire isn't. In a way, it is a perfect balance. I can help her train in angelic form, she can help me train in human form, and Strife can watch from afar and laugh.

"Come on, Veil. This is easy. I could to it to Strife."

"I'd like to see you try, _Paagal._"

I laugh. Upon telling him that Death calls Zada _Bilauta, _he felt obligated to give us names in the same language. He calls Daire lunatic, and me _Mērē Vidrōhī, _which translates to 'My Rebel." I guess he got the idea from when we looked through the pictures on my phone out of boredom on the cargo ship. I had pictures of Zada and me with our customized leather jackets that said 'Rebels' on the back with white duct tape.

Only now am I realizing that Daire is mocking Strife is in a humorous way. She has her hands together, holding them in the shape of a gun and pointing it at him. "I could _so _see a third game. Darksiders three: Strife and his nerf guns!"

Taking the opportunity of her distraction, I subtly pick my machete up.

"You look no better with that weak little axe, Daire!" Strife now knows that I am sneaking up on her and is distracting her for me.

"Oh, _right. _Tell me, Strife, who thought it'd be a good idea to carry around two little dinky pistols? No one will be giving you Mercy- Oh, fuck!"

I laugh as the backside of the machete grazes her neck. "The element of surprise, _Paagal._" The Horseman says. I let Daire go.

As soon as I so, she picks up her axe and tries to playfully hit me with it. I just barely raise my weapon in time to protect myself. Daire moves again, trying to crack the handle against my shins. Thinking quickly, I try to jump over the fast moving blade. It causes me to fall onto the dirt ground when it catches my heels. Immediately, I stand up and reposition myself. I block her attacks once, then twice. This goes on for a good five minutes.

"Stop." Strife says, leaving me to collapse in exhaustion. "That is if for today. Compose yourselves and come find me."`

We all walk inside. I head to mine and Strife's room, Daire goes to her room, and I don't stay long enough to see Strife's path. As I close the door behind me in the bathroom, I quietly begin filling a small tub with water, staring at myself through the mirror to my right. My hair is matted and stuck to my red face, which is covered with several different impurities from the outside world. When the tub is filled slightly past halfway, I quickly bathe myself.  
Just as I pull the last of my clothing on, Strife walks into the room and wraps his arms around my waist from behind. "Come, _Mērē Vidrōhī._ I have something to show you."  
"Such as?"  
He chuckles as my lack of cooperation, leaning down and whispering in my ear, "Will I have to force you to come with me?"  
"Well, you've done that before. That's why I'm here. What is stopping you now?" I grin, turning around in his arms to meet his eyes.

He smiles, gently leans down to kiss me for a mere moment, and pulls me in the direction he wants me to go. Daire is sitting at the kitchen table, smiling and laughing to herself as she holds some of- what I'm guessing to be- her personal belongings in her hands. I see some of mine next to her. Some of my old journals, my bass guitar case, one of my old phones filled with music, along with the charger, and a pair of Kiss Hello Kitty headphones. I laugh, picking them up. It feels like I haven't seen them in years. Putting them over my ears, it brings back a sense of comfort, when I used them to block out the collapsing world around me. I happily plug them into the phone, turn it on, and click the first song I see.

"_You've been running for so long, still breathing. Hoping soon to find a song worth singing. Every chapter of this note they're reading, but you're slowly losing hope on bleeding…_"

I melt into the nearest chair, closing my eyes to hold back tears of joy. I haven't realized how much I missed this. Adding onto my happiness slightly, Strife pulls one of the headphones off of my ears, says, "We're going to Death's home tomorrow. All of you are." and snaps it back into place. I set it horizontal on my head so one side is blaring into my ear and the other is setting on my skull.

"Really? Why?" Daire and I ask, though jumbling the two words in excitement that they almost don't make enough sense, but Strife gets it.

Smiling slightly, he says, "Fury, Azzazel, and Sage were almost caught by Panoptos, one of the Watchers. We've decided that keeping you all in one general area for a few months, until the Council has let the matter go, would be the wisest decision."

I ask quietly, awkwardly, "Will you be there?"

"I-" He quickly cuts himself off, rethinks what he is about to say, and replies, "I will always be there. Physically, not as much. I will see you once every few days."

"For how long?"

"As long as you'd like. Death's home is large enough."

"Zada and the others will be there?"

"Yes. Would you like the coordinates as well?"

"Yes!"

He and Daire both laugh, though I sit and stare at him smugly. "Everything will be fine, _Mērē Vidrōhī, _I assure you. I won't disappear." Nodding, still slightly uneasy, I calm down a little. I don't want to be separated from him. Ever. Again. Last time I was it felt like a stab to the heart every time I even thought about thinking his name, because I was somewhere longing for him, wondering unconditionally if he was longing for me.

"Veil." Strife chuckles.

I blink my eyes several times, saying a confused, "What?"

"You should get some _rest,_" Daire says, narrowing her eyes at Strife. "Like. _SLEEP._"

I laugh. "Fine. When are we leaving tomorrow?"

"At the break of dawn, roughly. I will pack what you'll need to bring tonight, for it will take at the least half of the day to reach there on horseback. For now, you two get some sleep. I will wake you when it is time to go."

Daire nods, says, a nonchalant "night" to me, and walks into her room, closing the door behind her. I turn to Strife, who had begun packing some of Daire's small personal belongings, such as headphones and an MP3, into a small black bag. I wrap my arms around his waist, bringing his attention to me. I straighten my posture as much as I can and stand on my toes so I can kiss him. He returns it for a long moment. When I break the embrace I walk out of the room, saying nothing. I shut our room door behind me and climb into bed. Setting my head on the pillow, it is not long before my already sore self slips under the waves of consciousness.

xxxxxxxx

**Raven **

Gripping the blankets next to me, I notice the Horseman's absence. I sit up, holding the covers over my form. "War?" I ask aloud.

"I'm here." He calls from another room. I stand up, get dressed, and walk in the direction of his voice. War is standing in front of the table, putting some objects into a bag. I walk up to him, setting my hand on his lower back and watching what he is doing. I recognize them almost immediately. My small MP3 and headphones, old, dust covered, journals, a box of gel pens.

"Where did you…?"

"I traveled to Earth with my brothers while you were asleep yesterday."

My heart bursts in joy. I wrap my arms around him, and he returns the gesture when I say, "Thank you."

'You are welcome. Tomorrow, we leave for Death's home as well."

I let him go, looking him straight in his freezing eyes. "Why?"

"Fury's home was inspected a few days ago. We are keeping you all in the same place for a while." I nod uneasily, holding back the urge to question further. War cups his hands around mine, leaning down slightly. "I will see you… just not daily. Not for a while, anyway."

"How long?"

"A month at the most."

"Okay. As long as…" I sigh at my social awkwardness. "As long as I can see you."

"I will not be staying there, for that would raise suspicion. But I will be traveling there every few days to see you. Strife is doing the same."

"Alright. Okay." I nod, assuring myself that it'll be fine without him and try to hold back a panic attack. "I'll be able to see Zada, and Sage, and Veil, and Kyle, and Azzazel, and Daire, and-"

He leans down fully to bring his lips to mine for a few seconds. Upon breaking the kiss, he says, "Everything will be fine."

"I know. I know. I've got it."

"We will leave in the morning." He laughs quietly. "We have a bit of free time-"

"Nope."

Giving me a small half smile, he kisses me again, wrapping his arms around my waist. I let my hands on his gauntlets, rubbing the freezing metal underneath my thumbs. "Trust me," He chuckles, "You're _not _getting away from me again _that _easily."


	6. Chapter 6

**Veil**

"Love, it's time to go."

"Five more minutes."

Strife chuckles, "Child."

"Shut the hell up. I trained all bloody day yesterday."

"You'll be relieved of that for a while if you get up. However if you _don't…_"

Groaning in annoyance, I mutter, setting my hand over his face with my eyes closed, "Fine. I'm getting up. Calm your face."

Laughing, he walks out of the room. I roll out of bed and drag myself into the bathroom. There is a pile of clothes for me sitting on the sink. I put them on without thinking. The fabric is comfortable, but tight. Each article is black. My sweatshirt is almost like a corset, for there are strings tying it together across the whole front, and keeping it really tight- most likely to Strife's pleasure. Sighing, I walk out. No one s here, but I can hear their voices outside.

"You're a persistent little _Paagal, _now aren't you?" Strife chuckles as I approach them. He is attaching out bags to Animosity saddle.

"Calm down, both of you!" I mutter. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes." He answers quickly as Daire climbs into the very front of the saddle. We soon follow, and I end up sitting between them, with Strife behind me and Daire in front of me. Animosity starts to trot away from home. The one place I've been able to call _home _home in my entire life.

x-

"Strife! This is _not _that difficult!" Daire yells in my ear, though her words are meant for my Horseman.

"The names are confusing!"

"Bull shit!"

"Why the _hell _was I put _between you?!_" I sigh rubbing my temples.

"Sorry, _Mērē vidrōhī._ Don't you agree?" Strife laugh, wrapping his arms around my thin waist from behind me.

"Nope. Daire's right-"

"HA!"

"-but you aren't from earth-"

"Asshole!" She continues talking to Strife.

"-so you wouldn't know."

Now she's just trying to piss him off, I'm sure. "Okay- repeat after me."

"I don't think that's-"

"Black Veil Brides, My Chemical Romance, PANIC! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Breaking Benjamin, Falling In Reverse, Avenged Sevenfold, Ghost-"

"Daire!" I yell, rolling my eyes. She starts laughing uncontrollably.

"I really only paid attention to one of those words." Strife says,

"And that would be…?"

He suddenly yanks me closer, whispering quietly in my ear, "Veil."

"That was the second word I said!"

"Exactly."

When he takes off his mask to lightly kiss my neck, Daire sighs and turns back around in the saddle, muttering, "Come on, you guys. Not NOW."

"Alright. Knock if off, Strifey." I laugh.

Daire spins around and looks at me. "You didn't- Strifey- well, that's about enough life for me today."

Laughing, I start to look around. While not paying attention for an hour or two, the scenery has changed dramatically. Ash and Dust swirls around us in spirals. An endless field of grey stands before us.

"Where-?" I ask quietly, though cut off by the Horseman.

"We are approaching Death's home. It won't be long before reaching it."

The scene reminds me of the Abomination Vault, but I decide not to say it aloud. I'm guessing the video game, or anything involved with the video game, is a sore subject between the Horsemen. Brushing off the urge to comment, I lean back against Strife and cross my arms. He gently draws circles across my right arm, slowly calming me. He breathes into my ear calmly, but says nothing. Just as I am losing consciousness, I hear a familiar high pitched and slightly raspy voice of Raven. "Is that-?"

"War! Raven! Always a pleasure."

"Shut up, Strife." Raven laughs at War's comment. The _same _Raven, who last time I saw her was avoiding her mate, and is now tucked in War's arms like I am in Strife's.

"What of Fury?"

"I'm behind your obnoxious a-"

"Alright, alright. Got it."

I look back and indeed see a pitch black horse catching up to us. Fury, Sage, and Azzazel all sit in the saddle. Now, There is just one more Horseman to meet, and two more people to find.

xxxxxxxx

**Zada**

"Peach, get your ass down here!"

I snap my eyes open. _That sounded like-_

"Veil!" Kyle laughs from downstairs, finishing my thought. I try to ease out of Death's arms, but an hindered by two things. One, Death growls protectively and pulls me closer. Two, _PAIN. _Everything is sore. My hips, my neck, my legs, just everything hurts- especially my wings. They're sprawled out behind us in a mess of feathers, some broken, some intact. My Pteronophobia sends shivers down my spine.

"PEACH!" Daire yells at the top of her lungs.

"Death. D-Death! Get up. T-they're here! Why are they here?!" I say in panic, switching to my tiger form so I can jump out of his arms and run to the bathroom.

"Love, everything is fine. I told you yesterday they were coming!"

"I WASN'T LISTENING!" I yell from the bathroom. Everyone downstairs starts laughing- even the three Horsemen.

I can hear Death rustling about as he dresses himself. "They can be patient-"

"_ZADA!" _

"...partially."

I shuffle on a "Falling In Reverse" shirt and start to tie the laces of my boots. "They're not known to be patient, dear." I mutter, storming out of the bathroom. Just before I can walk out, Death stops me, despite having opened the door slightly already.

"This may be the last moment of peace _we _will have for a while." He lightly snakes his arm around my waist, closing the door with his elbow.

"Death. We have to go."

He gently presses his lips to mine, _"One. Moment." _

Sighing in defeat, I kiss him back. He breaks it a long moment later, leaning down to my ear and whispering the three words he's only said one other time. I say them back. Without breaking eye contact, he pushed the door open, and the both of us step out.

"It's about bloody time, Peach!" Veil shouts without moving. We make short eye contact, but I quickly break it and look down at the stairs. There's something different about her. Maybe she's taller or something- but she looks different. After studying each of them, I see that each of them look different. Daire is standing with her knees locked and a fist over her mouth. Raven is standing timidly behind War, with her arm locked with his. Sage and Azzazel stand next to each other, both of them with their hands in the pockets. I try and dismiss my accusations and tell myself it's because of the potions, or training, or something like that.

We all greet each other. I hug Daire first. Then Raven, Azzazel, Sage, and even Kyle for good measure. But when I hug Veil, there's an awkward tension between us. She'll tilt her head down when I get within a three-foot radius of her. Is it because of what she saw in the cell, with the demon? No, it couldn't be. Raven was acting fine. Maybe it's because of the distance…? No. That's stupid to even consider. Then _what…?_

I don't know. But it makes my heart explode into shards of dreadful anxiety that puncture my very soul.

"Zada?" Veil asks. I snap my head toward her.

"Huh?"

"I want to see your angel from."

Every muscle in my body tightens. "No."

"Peach!" She whines, switching forma. "Look! I'll do it." Her hair falls to her elbows in bleach white locks, and her cheekbones are higher than usual. Wings sprout out of her back, and her clothes are insanely tight- quite similar to my angelic form. Not at the moment, though. Mine, f course, is riddled with bite marks and bruises, and looks all but angelic.

"I can't show you."

"Why not?" Now everyone who was having a separate conversation turns to this one.

Death starts toward me. When he is close enough, he leans down to my ear and whispers almost silently, "Do not worry. Your form has healed." Just to make my blush, he adds, "For now."

After giving him an annoyed glare, I turn back to Veil, "I can show you."

"No." Kyle giggles. "You have to show them something else first."

"...what?"

"Something _perfect._" She rolls the R. The pun clicks, and I narrow my eyes.

"No."

"What is it?" They all take a step closer, encasing me in a little circle. I can hear the other Horsemen asking Death what he did. I feel the familiar rumbling in my chest that I get before changing into the tiger- by Death's will. I refuse it and fall to my knees, clutching my heart.

"AGH! Death, no, let me explain-"

I am changed into the form.

_dammit. _

"WHAT THE _ACTUAL_ FUCK?!" Veil screams.

Everyone besides Azzazel and the Four come over to pet me. I glare at my Horseman. _Sorry, love. _He says in my head.

_I could've explained first! _

_Just enjoy yourself. You haven't seen them in months. _Sighing at his words, I lie down. _Why are you anxious, _Bilauta? He asks.

_No reason._

Death walks over to me and, along with the others, strokes my fur. _I can feel it. You're hurting. Why? _

Sighing, I shut my thoughts away from his.

"That's so awesome! Can she hear us?" Veil asks Death.

"Yes." He answers quietly.

"Peach! Let's go outside. I wanna go outside." She says. I slowly allow all of them, who are talking and laughing ahead of me. Another pang of anxiety hits me. I walk out the door Azzazel holds open for me with my head tilted down and my spirits lower than I expected them to be.

xxxxxxxx

**Raven**

I laugh as Zada dramatically buries her face in her paws, trying to block out our bad cat puns. Despite being so quiet, Azzazel and Sage make us all laugh the roar, she stops with her eyes wide, and switched forms.

"We have to go. NOW."

"Why?" I ask.

"Death. Death told me something was coming."

"How did he…?" Daire starts, but Zada cuts her off.

"I'll explain later. Come on!"

She hold the door open for each of us. As soon as I walk through, I hear a quiet gasp. I turn around and look to her. Zada is standing there with her eyes half closed.

"Zada?" I ask shakily, taking a step closer. She touches her hand to the backside of her shoulder, and I watch as she pulls a small dart out of the skin. She twirls it around her finger once, then drops the little piece of wood. "Zada. Switch forms!"

She does this, and the tiger appears before me. She stumbles out of the doorway. One step, two steps, then she's out like a light. "What is this?!" I hear Death yell.

"Something got her. I don't know- a little dart or something."

Death swoops the tiger into his arms, runs down to the cellar that everyone else is in, then walks back up empty handed. He gives me a blank glance as he runs out the front. In a panic, I run down the stairs to the cellar and close the door behind me.

"You're not taking them." I hear an angry Death say from upstairs.

"Ah, keep calm, kinslayer. We're not here under the authority of the Council."

"Then _who _brought you here, I might ask?"

Zada growls slightly as she stirs awake. I look at her slitted eyes, telling her to keep quiet in a silent message.

"None other than your favorite demon. Samael. You, Death, killed one of his slaves while he was in the Charred Council's prison. Plus, as a bonus- he wants his son."

Someone's breath hitches. I'm assuming it's Azzazel, but I am wrong. I turn around and see it was Sage.

"Then I give you full permission to return to the demon king empty handed. Or, I'll offer you another choice- death."

A soft whine in pain comes from Zada that's too quiet to hear from upstairs.

"Maybe while we're at it, we'll snatch that little mate of yours. Have a little _fun._"

"There is no chance you are taking her, Azzazel, or any of the humans."

There is a quiet wave of laughter, combining at least three dozen voices. "They're defenseless! Even with a few months of training-"

The sound of splattering blood rings out, followed by a piercing scream and multiple sceathing blades. This is the beginning of the fight. Of course, I now most of it will stay upstairs. But some comes here- including our Zada.

The door swings open. I take a step back, realizing that the three demons standing there are _identical _to the one in that _cell…_ "Ah, here we are! That one's Zada." He points to the black tiger.

I laugh slightly as she lunges forward, knocking all three of them down. One second, they hit the floor. The next, their throats are sprawled out on their faces in bloody messes. We all cheer a little, but when Zada turns around, we all fall completely silent.

Her eyes are pitch black, and have the same demonic gleam as them all.

"Z… Z-" We all stutter.

She growls menacingly, walking away from us and up the stairs. S...she's going to get herself killed…

xxxxxxxx

**Death**

I can't hear Zada's thoughts. Of course, she is able to block them from me… but even then there is a quiet hum that indicates her presence when she is in any form. Now it is only silence.

I decapitate three of the demons who- rather unfortunately, I might add- were standing in a row while fighting. When there are, at least, a half dozen left, I see a running black tiger in the corner of my eye. Turning to look at her, I almost yell in protest, but end up watching in awe as she jumps up and rips the throats out of the remaining demons.

Silence falls. Zada turns around and stalks toward me without dropping her bloodthirsty gaze. When I meet her eyes, I stop breathing altogether in _actual _fear.

Her eyes… lifelessly black. Corrupted. Polluted. Her form is in front of me, but the one I love is not.

"Zada…"

"She's not there, brother."

"Yes she is!" I can't help my child like manner. "She _can't _be gone!"

I am cut off as she tackles me, knocking the wind out of me. I hold her shoulders back as she tries to get at my neck. I pin her paws above her head when she manages to get a few slashes into my chest.

"Zada. _Listen. To. Me..._" I close my eyes. She stops trying to kill me for the most part, but still growls in my face. "This _isn't _you… I _love _you, _Bilauta…_ You love me…. do you not remember…? Look into my eyes… you know who I am- AGH!"

_GO! _

The tiger's eyes flicker into that beautiful green, sparking my hope. "Zada?"

_I'm so sorry… _her voice cracks in my mind._ I love you… so damn much…. NO!_

Her eyes return to black, and she is now more menacing than before. She manages to latch onto my mask, biting off the right corner of the ivory and throwing both pieces to the side. I hear a loud thump. Zada's eyes close immediately, and she falls unconscious next to me.

"It will keep her under." Strife says. "Let's get her inside."

X-

**A/N: Don't kill me Don't kill me Don't kill me Don't kill me Don't kill me Don't kill me Don't kill me XD **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Don't kill me don't kill me don't kill me don't kill me don't kill me don't kill me don't kill me don't kill meee!  
I'm writing chapter eight (YES IT'S SYMETRICAL) right now. Update will be soon XD **

**Death **

She is sleeping peacefully in her tiger form on our bed. Determined not to leave her side, I kneel down beside her, burying my face in her fur and absently stroking it with my left hand.

Eight weeks, roughly, Eight weeks of happiness that I don't think I'll ever get back.

"Brother?" I hear the female voice of my sister, Fury. I don't reply. She sighs, sitting down next to me. "This won't last. The venom in her veins will fade in a few days."

All I can think about is the little human that is turning me soft.

"...Do you love her as much as…."

I know she is talking about my Nephilim mate, from eons ago. "More."

"More?"

"More than _anything, _Fury."

She gives me an apologetic smile, clapping her hand on my shoulder as she stands up. "We will depart tonight. Let us know if something happens."

I don't bother to reply. She walks out, leaving me to my thoughts.

x-  
(One week later)

If the poison does not run it's course soon, I will lose my mind. When she wakes up and tries to kill me, I can hardly muster enough courage to knock her out. It's a living hell. I close the door behind me as I walk out of our bedroom. "Death?" I hear Veil downstairs.

"Yes?"

She appears at the bottom of the stairs. "You've been in there for days."

"...The time just got away from me, I suppose."

"You're starting to act like her. You realize that?"

I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Sighing, she sits down on the bottom step. I uneasily follow, sitting down next to her. "Before all of this shit happened, she usually would lock herself in her room, wishing for the pain to end. Sounds like you these past few days…. except the fact that usually when she did it she would harm herself."

"Don't." I mutter.

With a smug look, she says, "You're pretty sexy when you're angry."

"Veil!"

"Alright, alright. I'm done. It's a joke, I was kidding." She mutters something about Strife that I don't catch. I don't answer. "I've known her longer than you have. I'm calm."

Anger gets the best of me. I lean closer to her face, hissing almost silently, "She is my _mate. _I love her to the end of _every _universe and back. _Nothing _will calm me down."

I stand up. She watches silently as I walk away from her and Zada.

xxxxxxxx

…

I wake up this morning, expecting another shitty day in school. Another day of torture, then hurting myself when getting home. But that's not what I get.

I pull my blankets closer to my head. They seem so much softer. Everything feels more… _homey. _I open my eyes in suspicion, which skyrockets to utter confusion. _Where am I?!_

I'm sitting on a soft, black bed. The room I am in is lit subtly by candles. There's a door to the right and one opposite from me. Too shocked and scared to function, I just sit there, dumbfounded. Footsteps approach me. _It's Death! _My other mind yells.

"What the hell does that mean?!" I whisper, frightened like hell.

_I'm serious. Why can't you-_

"Zada?"

My breath hitches. That voice… is so terrifying...

"Uhh…"

The door opens.

My mind implodes with fear. Death. This is everyone's worst nightmare. Meeting a man as terrifying as this one. His skin, pale as the dead, is pulled tight against his bones. A tattoo is marrying his skin at least an inch deep.

And his _eyes… _they're the worst part…. so beautiful, but so terrifying…

"Zada…"

"H-How? How do you… how do you know my name-?"

"...What?" This creature kneels down to the side of the bed I'm sitting on. "W...why…"

He puts his hand over mine. I squeal in discomfort.

"Zada. Calm. _Down._"

"B...but…. you're Death!"

He closes his sunset eyes and tilts his head down. "No. No, no, no."

He looks hurt. Dejected... But he's _Death. _He can't _hurt! _He hurts 's a killer. "Uhhh…" I manage to speak the syllable.

Scaring the living hell out of me, he jumps up and sits next to me. I back away and almost fall off the opposite edge. "This is _not _happening. Zada. You _know _me."

"Yeah… I know you… y-you're the man who comes to take sinners' souls…" I close my eyes and let the tears forming fall. "What have I _done?! _I was just trying… trying to live a happy life…"

I have a _major _panic attack when Death, the Reaper, the… maybe Horseman of the Apocalypse... pins me back against the bed and kisses me. What's going on? What is going to _do?!_

"Please… tell me you remember…" He mumbles against my lips. His voice rumbles against my chest, and I try to push him away. "Please…"

"What? What am I supposed to _remember?!_"

He suddenly jumps up. "_What?! _I'm your _mate! _Do you not remember the day, when I broke into your schooling facility, and I took you, and Veil away from your lives?!"

I give him a blank stare, wiping away my tears with the back of my hand.

"What about traveling? Antarctica? Do you remember the cruise ship? Prison? _ME?_ Raven, Daire, Sage, Azzazel, Kyle- do you know _any _of these names?"

"...No… I don't…" He stares at me. His feelings of hurt are passed to me. Something snaps, like a broken connection, and the feeling in dreadful. "What-"

Before I can finish, he storms out of the room.

My heart implodes in feelings I never knew I had.

Tears start to flood out of my eyes. I bury my face in my hands and stand up. What has _happened…?_

x-

"Zada?"

It's Veil! I wrap my bloody arm up, put the blade I found under a few towels, and stand up as she opens the door. "You're okay!"

"I'm not okay,"

"Why? What did Death say? He wouldn't say anything when he came downstairs."

I can feel the tears coming again. I look at my hands. My voice cracks, "I don't know… I'm so confused… why..."

"About what?"

"H...he's a fucking _killer!_… he was r-rambling about, about traveling… taking me from home…"

She gives me a confused look, then something hits her. She puts her hand over her mouth. "You don't remember… you don't remember _him..."_

"No! I don't!" I burst into tears. "I don't understand… what's going on… why aren't we at home...?"

"Alright. You need sleep. Maybe it will come back to you."

"No… no, I need to know what happened."

"No, you need sleep."

I look towards that room. "...I can't sleep in..."

She sighs. "Come on. You can sleep in my room, Peach. It's midday, anyway."

I silently follow behind her. She looks so much older, it scares me. As soon as I am about to ask, I hear a chorus of completely unfamiliar voices.

"Peach!"

"How you feeling?"

"I'm so glad to see you better."

They all look like genuinely friendly faces. Five of them. Four girls and one guy. I stare, so confused I want to break down into sobs.

"Guys, hang on a second."

"No, Veil. I need to see how she's doing. Peach!" One with black hair walks up to me, grabbing my shoulders and looking me over.

"Daire!"

"Um…"

The girl, supposedly named 'Daire' asks, "Are you okay?"

I shake my head. Veil grabs my arm, which stings like HELL, and pulls me into a different room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll explain later. Keep your distance from her, alright?"

I stare absently at the carpet as I walk. I can hear Daire's protests from the other room. As soon as I am sitting down on a small bed, I break down.

"Peach-"

"It's okay. I'm fine. Just let me think. Go explain… I guess…"

"Get some sleep." She says and walks out.

I lie down, slowly, and bury my face in the nearest black pillow. This fucking _Halloween decoration _just kissed me…

"Halloween Decoration…" I mumble against the fabric.

"_If you don't mind me asking… why do you think so?"_

"_Oh, I don't know, maybe because you look like a freaking Halloween decoration!"_

I scream into the pillow in fear. The Reaper's voice that I just met, _my _voice, rings in my head.  
Slowly, I bring both of my shaking hands to my head and tangle them in my hair. The pain does not subside when I yank back on my head. My breath hitches, and my neck pops at the sudden jolt, but nothing more. I move my left hand to the small of my neck. pinching a point on my shoulder as tightly I can, the blood flow stops. I move my fingers and immediately pass out.

x-

_"Clear. Your. Mind. Listen to my words… Imagine a clear slate. There is nothing that is hindering you from doing anything. You're free. Take any thoughts or moments in your life thus far that you have locked in the back of your mind and get rid of them. Memories are merely recollections. They're over. They will never happen again. The past is over. The people you've met that have put you down are gone. The people you've loved and lost to death are happy where they are now, in the new human life they have begun. The voice that you hear is not there. It is gone. The mental chains that have held you back for so long have been let loose. You're free..."_

_The Reaper is pinning me to a little table. He has a lifeless bone mask covering his face. The vision is so clear, It's as if I can feel the biting wind on my skin. Blood is pouring out of my arm in a steady stream. _

"_You're free…" He repeats and, despite my protests, slips the mask off and leans down to my ear,_ "This is gospel for the fallen ones,

locked away in permanent slumber, assembling their philosophies, from pieces of broken memories. The gnashing teeth and criminal tongues conspire against the odds, but they haven't seen the best of us yet. If you love me let me go, because these words are knives and often leave scars. The fear of falling apart, and truth be told, I never was yours, the fear, the fear of falling apa-"

x-

"FUCK!"

"Shh… Zada… It's alright…"

"_What the FUCK are you?!_" I burt into tears when I see him kneeling down beside me. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Please. Stay calm… I know."

"You _don't _know! _You _took my _life AWAY FROM ME!"_

"Death." Veil says calmly from the door.

"Not. Now."

"She doesn't understand."

"Stop talking about me in third person-" I am cut off by a vision. I am lying on a cold prison cell floor. My clothing is torn into pieces all around me, and I am covered in so many impurities- some that give me uncomfortable chils. My face is so bloddied that I can hardly tell it's mine.

_"Stop talking about me in third person, dammit!" _I hear myself giggle drunkly._ "You really want to challenge a cripple?"_

"Why am I getting these images?!" I sob uncontrollably, ripping my hair out. "They don't make _sense! _How could I love this god damn _monster?!_"

Everything falls uncomfortably silent.

_What the FUCK is the matter with you?! _I cringe when my other mind screams as loud as she can. _You _do _love this god damn monster! LOOK AT HIM! Look into his eyes and tell me that you DON'T love him. _

I do as she says. Death's irises swirl methodically into multiple shades of shocking orange. His pupils are so wide, it's as if I'm looking into the innocent eyes of an animal. They look so hurt, so shocked, so _loving… _So loving that I can't think. My mind is numb. I feel the pair of eyes tugging at my heart- but the string is so lose, and the bond so tight that I can almost hear it snapping within.

I can't bring myself to look away…

"Please… remember…"

My eyes droop slightly.

_I don't love him._**  
**

_x-_

**A/N: Like I loved him… yesterdayyy….  
Okay, sorry.  
My Chemical Puns are so TEARible *giggles*  
OKAY OKAY sorry. Now I'm done.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Three Chapters in three days? Yep, I think this proves I have no life.  
XD  
Anyway….  
Andyway…  
BAD PUN. Sorry. Hope you like the chapter. I'm working to redeem myself now XD **

**War**

Ruin's hooves beat methodically against the ash ridden ground, kicking it up behind us as the travel continues on. I try my best to distract my thoughts from my mate, but to no avail. Most words remind me of her. I've been gone for longer than I told her, and the fact alone is racking me with guilt. I _must _see her.

Ruin slows when we approach the massive cathedral. When we are within walking distance, the horse disintegrates. I stalk up the door and open it, for it is already unlocked.

"Why am I getting these images?!" I hear Zada scream from downstairs. "It doesn't make _sense! _How could I love this god damn _monster?!_"

My muscles tighten. "What the hell…?"

There is silence as I walk down the stairs. "War!" Raven sighs as soon as I come into her sight. She jumps up and wraps her arms around my shoulders. I absently hug her back. "What is going on?"

"I don't know…" She whispers in my ear. "I don't… something's wrong…"

I sigh, setting her down on the ground. "I'll go find out. Wait here."

She nods uneasily as I walk over to the open doorway, gently nudging a dejected Veil to the side. Zada and Death are staring at each other. She's in her human form, but I immediately can tell something is wrong. Her eyes say hate. I know, no matter _what _that she couldn't hate my brother. Not unless something mad like, she can't remember him. My breath hitches when I see that her arm, underneath the long sleeved shirt, is bulging. There is another layer. I stare at it for a moment, wondering- but then it starts to bleed through the grey sweatshirt.

My hand balls into a fist. Something tells me that was by her hand.

As if he can hear my thoughts, Death solemnly looks down, and the realization makes his face twist into a snarl.

"Zada. Ashby."

"What…?" She chokes through her tears, but then has a look of anger as he brushes his fingers over the blood stained cloth. "Don't touch that."

"Why did you do this…"

"None of your concern."

"This is _all _of my concern!"

Veil gasps. I look down at her and, through a silent message, tell her to leave the room. When I look back, Zada turns to me, and she starts panicking. "Oh… my… _W-W-War…?"_

I blink rapidly at the sudden attention. "Zada-?"

"_OH my GOD!_"

"Brother?" Death looks over to me in confusion. I shrug, shaking my head.

"You're _War_!" Zada clamps her hand over her mouth and backs into the corner of the bed.

"Why does she remember _you_ and not _me?!_" Death growls, standing up and stalking toward me.

"Death. I don't know."

He pulls me fully into the room and throws me against the south wall. _"WHY?!"_

"Don't hurt him!" Zada screams from across the room. The rest of the humans come and stand at the doorway.

"Death. Calm down. Remember who your enemies are. Be civil for just a moment, let me down, and we will figure out what has happened."

He hesitates, drops the angry look in his eyes, and releases me, walking out of the room.

Zada is staring at me, awe stricken. I meet her eyes, and they are scrolling through so many emotions- I can't name one without it clashing into the next. "What?" I ask.

"Y...You're…"

"You _know _who I am, Zada!"

"I think I know what happened." Veil says, walking into the room and sitting down next to her. "What does _Darksiders Two _mean to you?"

Her eyes immediately widen. She giggles, "They made a_ second _one?!"

Veil claps her hands against her thighs. "That's it. She doesn't remember the second game. She doesn't remember traveling, being in prison, or falling for Death."

"Damn it." I mutter, walking out of the room in search of my eldest brother. He is nowhere to be found. After searching for hours, I look in every room, and he is not there.

"War?" I hear Raven's soft voice behind me. I turn around and see her with her hair hiding half of her face. "He'll come back."

I've been so wrapped up in what has happened with Zada's memory… I have paid no attention to my mate. Guilt kicks me in the face. I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her waist, picking her up a foot off of the ground or so. Closing my eyes, I bury my face in her hair. I've missed her more than I thought I would have when I left her here.

"Aww, how sweet."

And, of course, now the sarcastic bastard walks in.

Shaking my head in annoyance, I lift my eyes up to look at him. He's smugly grinning. "Not now, brother."

"Alright. Where's-"

"STRIFE!"

"Never mind." He chuckles as Veil almost tackles him to the ground.

I playfully sweep Raven into my arms. She laughs as I carry her into a separate room, far away from any other life. I close the door behind us in one of the many library's Death has in his home, sitting down in a cushioned chair. Raven wraps her arms around my neck, knocking back my hood and kissing me lightly. I chuckle quietly, returning the gesture and running my hands up her back. She shudders when the ice cold metal comes into contact with her skin, letting out a quiet sigh through her nose in pleasure.

She breaks the kiss and presses her forehead against mine, looking into my eyes from the top of her eyelids. "Hi." She smiles.

"Hello."

"I missed you."

"And I you."

"...I love you,"

With no hesitation whatsoever, I repeat, "And I you."

She smiles; breathing a breath in what I know is relief. I lean past her face, lightly biting her neck. "War, no. Come on."

"I'll _come on _if you'd like me to."

"Is it just me, or do you turn _everything _I say into a sexual play on words?"

I shrug, whispering in her ear, "When we get home, it won't be words I'll be playing on."

She bobs her head back in laughter, exposing more of her neck to me. "You're such an asshole- and _don't _respond to that, please."

I laugh as well, rubbing my face against hers. She blushes, pulling her torso away from mine slightly. This is ineffective, of course, for I just pull her right back. "We have all day. What do you suppose we do?" I ask.

"Not what you keep implying." She smiles, twirling locks of my hair around her finger.

I'm not surprised when we spend the rest of the day sitting there, enjoying each other's company.

xxxxxxxx

**Veil**

"She's not the same person." I mutter.

"Yes, she is. She is the same- just with different memories." Strife gently traces his fingers across my thigh. I am sitting with my legs across his and my arms around his neck. He tries to comfort me, but failing miserably.

Sighing in frustration, I don't reply. Strife lunges forward and pins me back against the couch we're sitting on. "Don't think about it. I haven't seen you in a while. I miss you. So shut up."

I smile as he brings his lips to mine. When I kiss him back, I lightly pull on the hair at the back of his neck. He growls, moving his lips to my jaw, then my neck, and finally my shoulder. I kiss the top of his head lightly, smiling to myself. I've missed him. I suppose being occupied with my friends took my mind off of him. though this does not happen often.

Strife snakes his hands towards my stomach, but tightens his muscles and restrains himself. I laugh a little, and he does too. With a teasing manner, I say, "Not today."

He smiles lopsidedly, sitting the both of us up. "What have you been up to?" He asks.

I happily explain what I've done in this past week- which is not that much, but it keeps us occupied. The fact that I can sit down and have a real conversation with him is all I want. I love him because he's casual and can talk with me without any sexual intentions. Because that's a quality _no _human can have. It's sad, but the truth. He'll laugh when I say something, so I know he is actually listening. It makes me want to lunge forward and hug him as tightly as I can, but I can't. I won't have any privacy with him until this is all over.

"and that's about it… I'm going to check on Zada. I'll be back." When I reach my closed door, I knock a few times. There is no answer, so I walk in. She's more than awake, staring at the wall as if it were the most interesting thing in the world, completely, deadly still. She won't blink. I am scared still for a moment before her foot twitches, letting me know she's alive.

"You okay?" I ask. No answer. "Zada. Everything will be fine-" I cut myself off when I see her hands… covered in blood. There are so many cuts on both of them, I can't count. At least a hundred on each finger. "Zada... what did you use? Where's the knife?"

No answer. Not even a twitch.

"Zada! Why the fuck did you do this?!"

"Shut up and let her sleep." I barely catch the words.

"Zada?"

"No." She tilts her eyes down.

Anger bubbles in my mind. "You _did _this to her?!"

"No." _It _says calmly. "...she did it. S...she wouldn't listen..."

"Listen to you?! Hell, she's doing herself a fucking _favor_! Why, what did you tell her?!"

"I told her that she was loved… and suicide wasn't an option."

My eyes soften.

"I took over before she could kill herself. The blade is over there. Get it away from us."

I see a bloody dagger in the corner of the room. I pick it up and throw it out a window, watching as it sinks into the ashes with a faint _thump._

"Why did she want to…?"

"I tried…" Its voice cracks. "I tried to revive her memory."

"…_you… _you remember?"

"Of course I fucking remember!" It lifts Zada's bloody hand up, only to put it back down in pain.

"Wait a second. I'll bandage it."

Running quickly into the bathroom, I scramble through the cabinets until I find some gauze. I come back to see it sitting there with its eyes closed. I sit down next to it, gently grabbing her right hand. She cringes in pain, and I apologize multiple times. I try and distract it.

"So… do you have name? Or am I going to have to go on calling you _'it' _for the rest of my life?"

It cringes again, but then says, "Ashlyn."

"Ashlyn?"

"Yeah."

"...That's a nice name."

She laughs a little. "I've known you for six years. You're not the best at compliments."

Smiling, I move to her right hand. "So. Why the sudden change of heart, _Ashlyn? _Why now do you decide _not _to torture Zada?

"That is none of your concern."

I shrug it off. "Fine. Can Peach hear me right now?"

"Yes." She mutters. "Can you tell her to shut the hell up- she's going to burst her own damn eardrums."

I laugh. "Zada. Knock it off."

"...alright, she's quiet."

"Okay. Your hands are done. When you let Zada take back over, both of you come find Strife and I."

"Okay."

I smile, clapping Ashlyn on the shoulder, then standing up and closing the door behind me as I depart.

Xxxxxxxx

**Death **

My mind is numb. All I can think about is the pain it brought me when Zada said the things she said. I can almost hear her choking words, echoing throughout the walls of my consciousness. You'd think that pain wouldn't affect the Reaper, the Kinslayer, _Death. _But nothing has ever hit me harder.

Now, I am on my way to meet the Crowfather to find a potion, an elixir, a _cure, _for my mate's amnesia.

I have already reached the Vale. The chilling wind throws the pellets of snow against my side. I can see Dust's glow of emerald green above me as the bird follows me into the frozen palace. It is beautiful, though my gaze is as hard and cold as the ice beneath Despair's hooves. As the warhorse trots across the path, my mind travels to Zada. How much she would enjoy the view. How much she would enjoy being here with _me, _and vise versa. I spur Despair into a sprint, only for him to steadily slow down. The damn horse can hear my thoughts. Fittingly, he feels Despair as well.

Upon reaching the staircase, the horse falls through the ice in a mist of green. I maneuver through the palace which, due to age, is falling apart. A large percentage of the columns I must climb are broken, making my discombobulated self almost fall to my inevitable death much more than usual. I reach the massive stairs that lead to the Crowfather's layer.

"Ah, Kinslayer," The raspy voice of the old man bounces off the walls. I say nothing as he comes into my sights. "What brings you here today? The Council-?"

"The Charred Council and I are not on the best terms at the moment. I am here for a more personal reason."

"Then by all means." The Crowfather gestures a hand out, allowing me to speak.

"I am to find an elixir, if you may. One that can revive the memory of-" I cut myself off.

"Of whom?"

Tightening my fingers around my palms, I continue, "A mortal."

A taunting laughter rings out. "A mortal? Now _why _would you want to revive-?"

"The details are not of your concern. I only want the potion. Whether you have it, or I will have to travel to find it, it doesn't matter. Tell me where to find it."

"Though, this is where the problem lies. The information will come to you along with a price."

"I'm not a fool. What do you want, Crowfather?"

The old man taps three of the fingers on his right hand against his chin. "I suppose the cost, based on my decision, is not that difficult to achieve- depending on how you look at it."

"I am in no mood for games. Tell me." I tighten my grip around the handles of Harvester.

A wicked grin appears on the Crowfather's face. "As you know, I have eternal life, just like you. But what good is it to travel around as an old man? It's becoming quite… _exhausting, _if you may."

When he pauses, I impatiently tell him to continue.

"…I would like a sliver of your youth." He says. I narrow my eyes very slightly. "Nothing too major- though I _know _you will agree… even _I _think Zada needs her memory."

Growling menacingly I say, "…Very well, Crowfather. Though I need your information beforehand."

"And how will I know that you not run off with it?"

"I am a man of my word."

It is silent for a long moment. Somewhat reluctantly, he says quietly, "In the hands of the Demon Queen. Lilith."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi. Sorry, it's been a while since I've updated. Next chapter will be longer.  
Sorry for non articulate writing here- I'm bit numb at the moment.**

**Death**

The Crowfather has sent me to the Maker's Realm- the closest access point to the Tree Of Life, then so on and so forth. But now? Without the power, it is a major inconvenience. If I were human, I'd appear to the untrained eye to be fifty or sixty years of age, as opposed to looking twenty or so in my normal Nephilim form.

At the moment, I am trying to have a nonchalant conversation with Zada. Doing so is indescribably difficult. I am not put in this situation often, where I love a being as much as I do Zada, and she dislikes every aspect of my being.

_So… why are you, like, connected to me?_

I can't _stand _her like this either. She is so non-articulate in her speech… that's not like her.

I growl aloud, but reply, _A side effect of the potion. The power of the form needed an output for you to survive. _

_Ah. So you're the output- oh, fuck. I'll be back. _There is an uncomfortable silence for a long moment. When she returns, I almost flinch. _Where are you? _Zada asks.

_I am on my way to retrieve… something. _

_Something? _

_Yes. Tell the others that I am in the Maker's Realm for the moment._

She leaves again, but comes back in half the time as before. _They are staying until you return. The cricket says to hurry your ass up. _

_...Cricket?_

_I don't know what the bloody hell his name is!_

I start laughing aloud, burying my face in my right hand.

_What are _you _laughing at? He looks like a cricket! _She protests.

_I never thought of it that way… but yes. This is accurate. _

I hear her soft, sweet laughter echo in my mind. I close my eyes, for it calms me down. Smiling behind my mask, I spur Despair to trot slightly faster, thinking intently of the bite taken out of my mask.

xxxxxxxx

**Veil **

Zada won't get out of her tiger form. All day, she lies around with her eyes closed. She's not asleep- she's talking to Death. I'm positive. She'll move from one place to another, and let out puffs of air, as if she is laughing.

Curiosity gets the best of me. "Peach!" I yell, getting her attention from across the room. I'm too comfortable in Strife's arms to get up and walk to her. She immediately jumps to her feet, sitting perfectly symmetrical on the tile floor. Strife and I laugh. "Are you talking to Death?"

The tiger nods, tucking her ears back in embarrassment.

Grinning, I say, "Just wondering. Come here."

She takes a step back.

"Peach! Come here."

Growling uneasily, Zada approaches us with her head tilted down. WHen she is close enough I pet her head. She sits down. "Hehe, you're all fluffy."

he stares at me with an annoyed glare through piercing green eyes. Strife chuckles, leaning down to pet her as well. "Where is Death?" He asks.

Zada quickly changes forms, saying quietly, "He says he's in hell.. I guess he got there before I could tell him to go."  
Before either of us can retaliate, she is back as a cat and lying down at my feet. Laughing at her comment, I slide out of Strife's arms and sit down next to her. Strife and I sit and talk most the night away, with Zada huffing mostly as response. She's exhausted, I can tell. But she won't go to sleep. I know, because of this, our Zada is in that little head of hers.

I really hope.

She's not the same. _Nothing _is the same anymore- including my best friend.

xxxxxxxx

**Sage**

Azzazel, Daire, Raven, War, Kyle, and I sit in a little library on the lowest level in the massive cathedral, which is two floors underground. Azzazel and I sit on a small, two person couch. Everyone else sits in a cushioned chair alone- except for War, who has Raven sitting on top of him with her legs tucked against his chest. We sit and grab miscellaneous books. Most are in languages only War knows. Occasionally we'll stumble upon a language even he doesn't know. It's a library of Death- you never know what to expect.

"Damn it!"

"You won't be able to read that." I tell Daire with a laugh, for she is trying to make sense of an ancient demonic language.

"I'm committed. This is a commitment, damn you!" She laughs. Of course, as I expected, five minutes later she dramatically stands up with an exasperated "fuck it" as she grabs another book. "ENGLISH! Finally."

"I found one in English a half hour ago, dumbass." Raven giggles, then laughs hysterically when War whispers something in her ear that I don't catch. When she composes herself, she says, "You do realize that section there" –she points to an entire bookshelf to the right of the room- "Is labeled 'Human English?'"

Daire sits and stares at the bookshelf, then at us. Then the bookshelf, and then us. "Va te faire foutre."

"What?" Kyle and I ask in unison. Everyone around us is hysterically laughing- even Azzazel is hiding a chuckle behind his book.

"It's French!"

I bring the heel of my palm to my forehead, and Kyle says, "THANKS. That helps a lot."

"You're welcome- wait a second, what the hell?"

I look up from my book. "What?"

"Why does Death have _human _novels in his library?"

"What did you except?" War chuckles.

"I don't know… a bunch of boring shit."

"Daire, all boring _shit _comes to an end at some point."

I tuck my legs up and watch them all with my chin resting on my knees, hoping for an argument to unfold. Raven smiles mischievously and slowly sinks down to War's level, whispering something back into his ear then closing her eyes and pressing her forehead to his temple. War widens his eye _very _slightly, followed with a _light _blush against his tan skin.

"…Uhhh…" Daire starts.

War clears his throat uncomfortably. Raven giggles, "Okay, I'm done."

"Good."

"Shut up!" We all laugh as Raven's face turns bright red. "I hate you all."

"Not all of us." War murmurs quietly, his tone dark and seductive.

Laughing, I say, "I'm going to bed. I'll so you all in the morning."

The room erupts in a chorus of different goodnights. I walk ups two flights of spiral stairs. Walking into a small room, I plop onto the bed, fanning my arms out to my sides. It's been an emotional day, with Zada and all. Seeing her hands made me angry. Of course, I _understand _why she did it. I feel bad for her- but the fact that she would abandon Veil- the only person she remembers- is nerve racking.

I dip under the waves of my consciousness with all this to worry about.

Xxxxxxxx

**Raven **

War and I stay up until everyone else departs to their rooms. We decide to stay in the library so we can be as far away from any life as possible. I can hardly stay awake, but with him next to me, I can't _not _stay awake.

"You can sleep if you'd like," He says as he lightly bites my earlobe.

"I'd bet money that you're trying to keep me awake."

War chuckles, "Either Way."

I shift closer to him, only for my waist to come into contact with the freezing metal. "War! Take those off," I shudder, "They're freezing."

In a somewhat seductive manner, War takes off the metal love on his only hand and the massive gauntlet on the other. In all reality, his _touch _touch makes me shiver more than the freezing metal.

I cup both of my hands around the nub of his right arm, where it cuts off a quarter of the way below his elbow, and set my cheek on its site. I can feel his warm smile as he sets his lips on my shoulder. He silently lulls me to sleep with his kiss.

I wake up in the morning, and War is gone.

_Everytime._

I groggily stand up and stumble through the doorway. Zada scares the living hell out of me when she runs into me. "Shit… uh- s-sorry…" She mumbles.

"It's fine," I smile, doing my best to reassure my best friend who has amnesia and no idea who I am.

I do my best to mask hurt when she says, "Veil asked me to come find you… R-Raven, right?"

"Yes." I reply quietly.

She nods with an awkward smile, letting her hair fall over her face. She switches to her tiger self, trudging clumsily up the stairs.

"Hi, Peach." Veil says as the massive cat walks into her sights. I reach the top of the staircase, watching as she sits cross-legged in front of the tiger, wrapping her arms around Zada's shoulders. I sit next to them, petting the top of her head.

"You _really _don't remember…" I whisper almost silently.

Veil says with a little bit of hope, "She's starting to remember, though. We were telling her about the cruise ship, when Strife got drunk."

I smile, "When he tried to hit Zada with his gun from a mile away."

We both crack up.

"When did this happen-?"

"Holy fuck!" Veil and I say in unison, realize what Strife just said, and collapse on the tile floor.

When Veil catches her breath, she giggles, "This is why I love you, Strifey. You're an idiot."

Strife chuckles, leaning down and pulling Veil back against his shins. He kisses her with his face in the opposite direction of hers. I smile, feeling the heartwarming moment in the pit of my gut.

This is when Zada stands up and abruptly leaves the room.

I sigh and walk after.

xxxxxxx

**Death **

"Hello, my love."

A permanently lust-filled, sugary voice rings in my ears that I have come to despise. The demonic woman stands from her throne and walks seductively towards me, the heels of her boots clicking against the steel flooring.

"I have come here for one thing and one thing _only._" I hiss as my lip curls up in disgust.

Lilith stalks dangerously close to me, and stops. She bites her lip with a poisonous fang, running her fingers across the jagged edges of Zada's bite into my mask. I don't blink. "Oh, dear. What happened here?" A laugh escapes her lips as she runs her tongue across her teeth.

"None of your concern." I shove her gloves hand away as her fingers graze my chest. "I need a potion."

"Why would you need a silly potion from _me, _Death? You have your magic's."

"Oh." I begin, my sarcasm thicker than the honey dripping from her lips, "It must have escaped my mind. I traveled all the way here, _completely _forgetting the magic's I've had for _eons. _Though, _my _power cannot cure amnesia, _Lilith._"

"Amnesia?" She begins, spinning around and slowly walking away from me with her hands on her hips. "Why would you come all the way _here _to receive a potion for _amnesia? _Something tells me… you _care _about someone."

"What makes you think this? I could be here on the Council's orders, the potion for an amnesia ridden bystander."

"Of course. Though you are not on the best terms with the Council… and you have killed a massive portion of Samael's army protecting your home. _Who, _might I ask, are you protecting?"

Anger rises deep inside me. I tighten my fist. "I _need _that potion."

"…alright, my son. I will give you the elixir free of cost."

"What do you want?"

She chuckles, "Smart. All I want is a small piece of information… and it is yours… _who _are you protecting?" She repeats.

I growl in mental conflict, unsure. I could not tell this _demon _what the Horsemen are up to. I wouldn't give away their location.

But I _need _that potion...

"Humans."

"What humans?"

"You never clarified I had to be specific, did you? You asked one question. I'm giving you one answer."

With an annoyed scowl, Lilith turns on her heel and walks toward a massive cabinet full of a variety of different colored looks back at me with a wicked smile as she reaches up to the top shelf, grabbing the purple, white, and red potions. She comes back and sets them on a table on the opposite side of the room. I approach her confidently.

"One of these is the one you need." She sets her fingernail on the cork of the white potion in the middle. She slowly pushes it until it falls off the table and into a pool of broken glass and liquid at my feet. "Which, though?"

She sets her nail on the purple potion. I don't blink. With a smug grin, she quickly flicks it from the table. I catch it when it is a few inches off the ground.

"I'm not an idiot, Lilith. I _know _what a amnesia potion looks like."

Her grin falls.

Without the courtesy of summoning the horse outside, Despair and I quickly gallop through the massive doorway. I can hear the demon protesting, but Zada is back in my mind, and all I can think of is what will happen when she takes this. The realization will hit her. Her apologies. Being able to touch her once more, without her screaming at me. So I can _love _her. Despair runs so quickly, I can barely get the potion into the bag attached to his saddle. I'd rather not put it there. I want to keep it in my sights.  
I want to make sure it stays safe when I go and find the Crowfather.  
Of course, I usually do not return to his realm after getting what I need. But he took something from me, and I'm out to get it back.  
x-  
(Days later)  
"Horseman? You have returned. What of this time?"  
I silently contemplate on what I should say, but finally decide on, "I would like to say thank you."

"This is not like you, Horseman. I can taste the dislike in your voice."

"…You are right. This is a lie." With a slight grin, I can feel my chest cave slightly as I redeem my youth. My height shifts ever so slightly, and I can feel wrinkles in my hidden face starts to smooth, just as they start to appear on the Crowfather.

"Horseman! _DAMN YOU!"_

I am gone before he can draw another wheezing breath.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I know. It's gonna seem bad. HOLD ON. It gets VERY bad, dramatic irony, and all that shit. I knooooow Kyle almost stabbed me. Haha :D Stay with me here. End of the chapter it's better. **

**Zada**

I intend to be alone today. I stay in my human form and do my best to avoid any other life. Unfortunately, that is not what I achieve. Something far worse is underway.

I sit down at the table with a bowl with half a grapefruit sitting it. As I begin eating, I hear the front door swing open. I let my eyes look up, gently clicking the metal spoon against the metal bowl.

Death walks through, into the kitchen. I meet his eyes for a split second, then look back down at the fruit and continue eating. I'll admit, I don't have the same undying desire to choke him after having a couple civil conversations with him, but I can still taste the awkward tension in the air.

"Zada?" He asks in a sweet tone. Well, in a way, if Death can be sweet.

I wait a long moment before replying, "Hi."

His eyes are soft when I look up at them. He whispers back, "Hi."

I glance at the small purple bottle he has in a tight, protective grasp. "What's that?" I ask, clicking my tongue.

"For you," Death steps out of the doorway, opening the bottle and setting it in front of me.

"What is it?"

"It will help you."

"...if it is to bring back my memory, I'm not taking it."

His jaw clenches.

Shaking my head, I pick the bottle up and head toward the sink. "Zada-"

"No. I don't want the memory back. I'm happy how I am."

Just as a single drop hits the bottom of the sink, I am restrained. My hands shake, but I can't bring myself to flick my wrist.

_Ashlyn. Let me go. _

_I won't let you do this!_

_Why?!_

_Because you love him!_

Her presence slips to the back of my mind. I tip the bottle back upright. "Zada. Don't do that. Drink it." Death says quietly. He walks up to me, stopping when he is dangerously close. Ashlyn returns. "You _have _to remember… you _have _to…"

"I don't want to re-"

Ashlyn takes over. I am completely aware of my surroundings, but I'm deprived of control. "Death…"

"Zada…?"

She shakes her head. "No… but I remember…"

Death cocks his head to the side slightly. "Why-"

"No. You _have _to get her to drink it. Do _whatever _it takes."

_ASHLYN!_

I take back over, using every ounce of my strength to do so. "Death. I'm _not _drinking it-"

He leans downward and powerfully brings his lips to mine. I growl in annoyance, trying to push him away, but to no avail. He trails the kisses from my lips, to my cheek, only for them to rest at my ear when he whispers quietly, "I am doing this because I love you…"

There is a sharp pain in my shoulder, and everything goes black.

xxxxxxxx

**Death **

I had to knock her out to get her to take the potion. I solemnly carry her upstairs to our room. She curls up in my arms, and I want more than anything for her to be back. For _my _Zada to be back. I set her down, running back down and grabbing it of the counter. I return with my fingers tapping impatiently against the glass.

I kneel down in front of her. Her breathing is calm and slow. Pulling the cork off, I take my mask off and bring the top to my nose. The smell is sour. I stare at it, now hesitant to put it in my mate's bloodstream.

_It's not supposed to smell like that… is it?_

I bring the top to my lips and drink a small amount.

Pain is what follows. It feels like acid in my mouth and, even though I consumed very little, it burns in my bloodstream. My vision blurs, and I let out a pain-filled yell. I sit down next to Zada, only to black out seconds later.

x-

"DEATH!"  
I lazily open my eyes. I am in our bedroom, lying underneath the covers. I sit up, watching as Zada runs in and jumps on top of me. She is wearing tight revealing clothing. A tight black and pink corset, long black skinny jeans, and leather shoes, cover her form.

"Hi." She smiles, setting her gloved hands on my bare chest.

"Zada?"

She runs her hands from my chest to my face, letting them rest there as she kisses me. I return it, slightly confused. She breaks the kiss, looking up at me with lust-filled eyes. I narrow mine.

Zada losing her memory, trying to kill me… was it all a dream?

I sigh shakily and pull her into my arms. "You remember… you remember how we met?"

She smiles, meeting my eyes. ""Of course I remember… you broke into my History class and kidnapped me… are you high or something?"

I laugh and stroke the side of her head. "No… I was merely clarifying."

Suddenly, a drop of purple liquid falls from the ceiling and lands next to us with a sizzle. A lump forms in my throat. "Zada-"

A massive pool of the poison rains down on her. An invisible barrier keeps me from being burned- and from helping her.

She lets out a blood-curdling, ear-piercing, soul-ripping scream as the poison eats at her skin. "ZADA"

Only now do I realize that her screams are of my name.

"_**DEATH!" **_

"_ZADA! _It's alright! Just stay calm!"

"It… _Hurts…!" _

"Shh, I know my love… it will be over soon, just listen to my voice!"

"Death!"

I blink once, and the scenery changes. I kneel against a charred ground, holding the hand of a dying being I have not thought about in a long while. "It hurts… Death…"

The ground around me is engulfed in flames and riddled aimlessly with lifeless bodies and their weapons. Harvester is buried deep into the swollen stomach of my Nephilim mate at the time of the slaughter, all those years ago. She was with child… and with _my _child…

Her cobalt blue eyes stop struggling, and close forever.

This is when I wake up.

x-

I sit up as soon as I awake. I am back where I started- in my room, with an amnesia ridden mate, and poison running through my veins. I let out a pain-filled grunt as I stand up. Each movement brings immense pain. I have to get downstairs, to get an antidote. They're in one of my libraries. I grip the railing as I slowly make my way down. A wave of pain surges through me, and I curl against the stairs.

"Brother?" I hear War say. He kneels down at my side.

"War… downstairs… antidote… I've been poisoned…"

My youngest brother runs off to find it with no hesitation.

xxxxxxxx

**Zada**

I groan in discomfort, picking up a black pillow and putting it over my face. When the chaos downstairs does not cease, I sit up and bury my face in my hands. In the corner of my eye, I see the glowing purple potion.

_Maybe… _

Getting some sleep kind of helped my mind resolve some issues. Maybe I should regain my memory. I mean, hearing Veil and Strife explain what happened over the course of that year sounded… good. It sounded like I was happy. But I am happy the way I am now.  
I suppose taking the potion will give me a final answer.

I lean down and pick it up by the brim. Flicking the round side, I say in my mind, _Ash?_

_Zada. _

… _was I happy? _

_Yes, _I can feel her despair. _Yes… you were… _

…_Did he love me? Did I love him?_

_You love him more than anything on any planet that has ever existed. _

_Hyperbole alert. _

_ZADA. _

_Okay… okay. I should take it then… right? I mean, if I do, then the hype will be over. I'll remember… but then I'll be able to make the decision. Right?_

She laughs, _The difference between being loved forever and being alone forever. _

I sigh. _Fine. I'll do it. _

I bring the bottle's rim to my lips.

…_Give me a countdown. _

_ZADA! Just DRINK it! _

_Ugh. Fine…_

I slowly tip the bottle back. When the purple liquid is millimeters away from my lips, I hear a dark and terrifying yell.

"_ZADA!" _

I accidentally throw the bottle at my attacker. Death dodges it quickly, and it shatters against the wall.

…Fuck.

"Uhh…"

He collapses next to me. "Damn you! That's _poison!_"

"What? You were trying to _poison me?!_"

"No-"

"You said that it was going to bring my _memory back! _What the _hell?!_"

"Zad-"

"How the _hell-"_

"Stop interrupting me and _listen!" _I stand up and walk past him. "Zada, I _thought _that was the amnesia potion. Lilith was the demon I had to get it from, and she is not truthful. That is why I tasted it first." I look down at my shoes. Death stands up and walks over to me, weakly grabbing my hands. "There is _nothing _I would do to hurt you. I _love you more than anything._"

I inwardly cringe… for I do not love him back.

"Please… just _take _the potion, when I get my hands on the correct one."

As I stare at my hands entwined with his, I say a quiet, "Okay."

"Death!" I hear War call from downstairs.

He turns his head and starts to slowly walk. Slightly annoyed- though also pretty damn guilty- I wrap and arm around his waist and help him down the stairs. Neither of us says a word, and I refuse to make eye contact with anyone when we enter their sights.

"I found the antidote."

Death leans forward and grabs the bottle of blue liquid, flicking the cork off with his thumb and downing it. Immediately, he looks better. He doesn't have to lean against me, and his speech is not as slurred and pain-filled. "I have to go."

"What?"

"War, I _need _to get that potion. More than anything now. Zada has agreed to take it."

He sighs and buries his face in his hand. "You should rest."

"I am restless until I have my mate back."

I close my eyes and tilt my head down solemnly.

"Death. If we stay any longer, the Council will be suspicious. There could be Watchers are our homes at this very instant, and we would have no idea."

"War. If Raven lost her memory _completely _of you, how you met, how she fell for you and vise versa… how would you react?"

He takes a long moment of silence before saying, "…I'd do anything in my power to bring her back."

Death nods. "I've proved my point. I am departing this instant."

He walks outside. I follow behind. "Zada? Zada! You alright?" I hear Veil behind me. For one of the first times, I ignore her and run outside with half the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

When I close the door behind me, I see a devilish pale horse that Death mounts. Deep turquoise flames engulf the horse's legs, mane, and tail. The pale skin is decomposing and falling off of the poor creature's bones, and the saddle is digging into its sides. "What did you do to him?" I ask, walking up to the horse and setting my hand on the side of its face. He rubs his cheek across the length of my arm.

"He remembers you too. Our minds are connected. Even Dust loves you to the extent that I do."

"Who's Dust? The horse?"

He chuckles. "Despair is the horse. Dust is the crow."

A small black raven lends on my shoulder. I yelp in surprise, but calm when the beautiful animal rubs his head against mine. Despair moves closer to me so Death can lean down and set his hand onto my cheek. "I'll be back in due time…" again, he shifts closer to me, slips his mask off, and gently resting his lips on my forehead. "I love you…"

I can feel tears welling in my eyes. Why the hell am I crying? I don't care… do I?

The only thing I can think to say is, "Thanks."

He grins, sits correctly in the saddle, and gallops off. Dust somewhat reluctantly follows. I wipe my eyes.

"WE SCREAM!"

I look behind me and see Veil and the others- most of them I'm forgetting the names of- walking outside, chanting and laughing.

"WE SHOUT!"

I smile and watch them. That song brings back good memories of Veil and I screaming this at the assholes that would try and bully us.

"WE ARE THE FALLEN ANGELS!"

I quietly hum the harmony as they chant, hesitantly walking up to them.

"Hi, Peach." Veil laughs, walking up to me and hugging me. I return it, thinking of the awkward tension from before that seems to be gone now. She looks me in the eye and asks, "Why are you crying?"

I laugh humorlessly and say, "I don't know."  
"Why-"  
Smiling and trying to cheer myself up, I yell, "To those who sing alone, no need to feel this sorrow!"  
Everyone else joins in. "WE SCREAM! WE SHOUT! WE ARE THE FALLEN ANGELS!"  
This is when a flash of red catches my eye. My smile fades as I see a glass flask, identical to the one with the lavender potion inside it- but now with a blood red liquid. "Zada? Are you alright?"  
I push them out of the way, walking up to the potion. There is a note attached to the bottle:

_I presume you __don't __know what an amnesia potion looks like, Death.  
-L_

It's the potion!  
"Oh my god…"  
"What is that?" Veil asks, sitting down next to me. I stare at the note. "L? Who's L?  
"Veil, take this inside. Don't let anyone touch it, and don't break it."  
I switch into my Tiger after gently setting it in her hands. Running in front of the house, I let out a deep roar in the direction Death went. _DEATH!  
Zada?  
The potion. It's here. The amnesia potion!  
What? How…?  
I don't know. But there was a note. It said you didn't know what an amnesia potion looked like, and had a little L and the bottom. It stands for Lilith, I'm sure of it.  
_He doesn't answer. I think he is gone for a second, but then I hear a quick, _I'm on my way.  
_I switch forms and run inside. Now that it has come down to it, I'm scared. Who knows what I'm going to be remembering? Is it good? Bad? Scary? Romantic? I don't know.  
"Zada!" I run in the direction Veil's voice came from. She's in the kitchen, examining the red potion without touching it. "What is it?"  
"An amnesia potion… if I take it… I'll remember."  
Her breath hitches. "Take it. Take it right now, before Death gets back."  
I contemplate if I should or not, ultimately deciding against it. "No."  
"No?"  
"I'll wait until tonight… I want to have a last day of peace before I take it and be flooded with all these memories."  
Veil epically sighs and sinks down in her chair. "PEACH!"  
I laugh, and the feeling lets out a bit of relief. Ever since I woke up in Death's bed, a few weeks ago, I've had an undying tension in my heart. Laughter makes it loosen. "I'll take it later. I want to eat, bathe, hang out and get to know the others for a while. Plus… if you're being truthful about Death and I… then…" I clear my throat awkwardly, looking down at the floor.  
"Aaah. I see." She giggles. "Waiting until bedtime, hmm?"  
"I'm going to kill you."  
She laughs so hard she almost falls out of her chair. "Okay. Do what you need to do and meet us downstairs."  
I nod. She runs off, and immediately I hear her laughing on the lower level. Without feeling rushed whatsoever, I sit down in front of my breakfast from earlier which I was unable to finish, since Death got home, and continue eating. He walks through the door.

"Can't I have a decent meal without you walking in?" I tease.

He is completely serious when approaching me. "Did you take it? Do you remember?"  
A lump forms in my throat. "No," I choke out. "...I'm going to take it later. I want to do a few things first."

"Alright," He says, discarding his mask and setting it on the countertop. "That is fine. I will not rush you."

I smile awkwardly and look down at my grapefruit. He sits across from me, watching me eat. I refuse to look up at him. When I am done, I keep my head down as I take the bowl over to the sink and throw the grapefruit in a small can full of different non-edible fruit peels.

When I turn around, Death is still watching me. "What?"

He chuckles. "Nothing… you're just beautiful."

_"You're just beautiful."_

_"Death? I think that human form is getting to you; you're really starting to sound like a douche."_

I stagger backward and grab my head. "Zada? What's wrong?"

I catch my breath and say, "We were at a diner. Y-you looked human… but you had your orange eyes… You said that, and I called you a douche."

Death laughs. "Yes! I remember that well." He stands up and pins me to the counter, setting one hand on each corner. "The _real _question is… what else do you remember?"

I look down at my hands, trying to recollect one of my visions. "I called you a Halloween decoration. You were trying to calm me down after cutting… saying _This Is Gospel…" _

"Yes. I remember."

I start to feel a little uncomfortable being so close to him. I gently push him away, thinking quickly and saying, "I, uh, am going to change."

I can feel his eyes on me as I walk away. He says a quiet, "Alright."

x-

I quietly walk upstairs into Death's room- well, I guess it's my room as well- and into the bathroom. The mirrored version of myself is staring at me through vivid green eyes. I can't even read my own damn expression, inside or outside. I don't know if I'm happy to be taking the potion, angry at myself for agreeing to it, or merely scared.

I sigh and take a long bath to allow my muscles to not be as tense and to give myself a long, peaceful time to think over my decisions. I wash my hair which, not to my surprise, gives off purple and blue dye in the water. Though, when my hair dries, the colors are still completely vibrant.

I wrap a towel around my form, and another I use to dry my hair. I untangle it with my fingers and get dressed. When I am done, I stop and stare at myself in the mirror. I'm wearing a tight black corset with pink pace across the front. I tie the lace tight, then turn to my leather shoes to tie.

When I'm done, I take the time to do my hair. Why? I really don't know. Ashlyn won't stop thinking about Death, therefore I can't stop thinking about Death. I five feeble attempts to shut her up, and she will for a while, only for both of our minds to return to the Reaper.

I reluctantly swing the door open, expecting for Death to be hovering around the door, begging for me to take the potion. Disappointment washes over Ashlyn when he's nowhere to be seen. _Do you love him? _I ask nonchalantly.

She doesn't reply for a moment, but ends up with, _If you tell him, I will kill the both of us. _

I giggle a little at her embarrassment as she slips to the back of my mind, mustering the courage to walk out of the bedroom and down the stairs. The entire room, which is surprisingly massive, is lit by the flames of a fireplace in the middle. Every person in the entire house is sitting around it, talking quietly. For a second, I don't see Death, but then I notice a pair of orange eyes in the darkness. I flinch. He gives a dark chuckle.

Everyone turns to look at me, walking timidly down the stairs. "Hey, Zada!"

"How you feeling?"

"You look nice."

"PEACH WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"

I could've known who said that last one without the recognition of her voice. I hold back laughter. "Hi," I say quietly, reaching the bottom step and walking toward them. Cherry stands up and pulls me onto the couch between her and Daire.

"Are you gonna take the potion?"

"We have it ready."

"Death tasted it and he didn't die. So you're good."

"Guys! Give me some space. _Please._"

Immediately, every human jumps off the couch and into different seats.

"... I should lose my memory more often. Instant human repeller." All of them laugh- except for Death, whose face is being cast in shadows.

I really am starting to think that he is, on purpose, trying to look awesome for when I recognize him.

The red potion is sitting in a glass cup on the coffee table in front of me. I tuck my legs up and look at it timidly. "You won't regret taking it." Veil says.

"Really. Despite being kidnapped… I had the time of my life travelling halfway across the world with… seventy-five percent of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Raven adds. "You did too."

My stomach rumbles in anxiety. I set my elbows on my knees, tugging at my own hair in conflict. It's silent for a while. One of the humans breaks the silence- Kyle, I think her name is- by continuously chanting, "Chug it. Chug it. Chug it. Chug it."

I start hysterically laughing. "It's like you're pressuring me to take shots!"

Everyone else chants the two words with her except for Death. He stares at me. His eyes are filled with a playful, challenging look. I return it with eyes that say, "Bitch, you think you're better than me?" And pick up the cup. I stare into his eyes to reassure myself, hear an annoyed _"Chug it!" _From Ashlyn, and tip the glass back.

The taste is bitter and sour. I pucker my lips and close my eyes tightly, but as soon as I swallow it, I see something.

"_I'm not here to cause trouble." _

The visions play like a movie. So quickly, they happen, but each is so clear, and vivid, it's as if it is in slow motion. I can pick out the scenery in each image.

"_Right. Well, we will be back soon. Do not _move _from these spots. I can sense your souls. If you try and escape, if you try to move… I _will _find you, and I _will _kill you, despite the Council's orders. Am I understood?"_

Each one hits me in the face like a brick of emotions that formed from a dead life, in which is now being resurrected in front of my eyes.

"_Trust me, there's something about you that is _really _pissing him off. I don't know what it is." _

"_Well, it seems we have come to a conclusion. Since we all are bound to come across some kind of danger, my brother and I have agreed to train you. We will do this so you will be able to handle yourselves as well as the other three. I will train Veil, and Death has chosen to train you, Zada." _

Even though these visions have happened days, months, maybe even years into the past, I can feel each emotion as if I were experiencing it then and there.

"_What are the scars from?" _

"_I'm not telling you!" _

"_Then I'm not leaving." _

I feel tears coming. My hands shake, and I get goose bumps up my arms, legs, and neck.

"_Why. Would. You. Do. That?!"_

"_To save you from the life you're living here. Will you _stop_ talking and let me _think?!"

I recognize Death. Death. The _main character _of _Darksiders II! _How the _fuck _did I forget that son of a bitch?!

"_I could see you singing this, Strife." _

"_I could try." _

Strife and Veil! I remember! They _loved _each otherso much…

"_Death, back up." _

"_Isn't this what you've always dreamed of?" _

"_Yes. but still, back up." _

That moment… I remember that churning of my stomach when he pinned me against that wall. In that old factory. I _remember it. _

"_T-The mask! The damned mask…! I-It…" _

"_What about the mask?! ZADA!"_

I punched him so hard… I laugh outside of the visions. Warm tears plop against my arms and hands.

"_Relax…" _

"_How the hell… do you think… I'm going to relax… when you're doing that… dumb ass…" _

My sarcastic comments though… he was the first person I ever trusted enough to get close to me in _this _way…

"Zada. _I may be Death, but _you can tell me. _I… I'm here if you need me." _

"_Y-y-y-you… I-I-I-I c-can't…" _

"_Can't what?"_

"_I-I-I'm a-a pr-prisoner… y-you don't want me- or, um, not… dammit!"_

The cruise ship! I let out a whimper in happiness. My heart feels like a balloon, filled so tightly with Helium… and Death is holding a sewing pin against it.

"_Why are they doing this?"_

"_Because you belong to me, or Veil belongs to Strife… they see you as a threat. When a Nephilim finds a mate- I apologize- they are more calm. That is not what they want for the Four." _

"_So, I've caused lots of trouble, I see." _

"_I don't care. You could danger the entire human race, or any race, at that, and you'd still be mine." _

I can practically feel his forehead resting on my temple. I can practically _feel _that churning in my stomach. Back then I didn't know what to call it. Now? It's called love. Love between these two beings, who are in complete opposites, but the same in every way at the same time. These two souls have been drawn together, and their bond so tight, I could even feel it when I didn't know who he was.

"_I love you more than anything on the face of this universe- or any universe, for that matter. Do you understand?"_

"_Y...yes." _

And I love him back…


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hai. I think I said last chapter that this would be longer…  
I lied.  
So sorry. XD  
I have a lot planned for the next chapter, and there's just… SO MANY IDEAS… I can hardly keep them on a page X3  
NEXT CHAPTER will be longer. Promise. XD  
Maybe.  
**

**Zada**

"Azzazel, Sage…" I sob uncontrollably as I can point them out easily, knowing that I have known them for so long... "Kyle, Daire, Strife- not a cricket, I'll try to remember that- Veil, War…" My eyes travel over to the eldest Horseman. I lock my green eyes with his sunset orange ones. "D-Death…"

He lets out a pent-up breath through his nose in pure, utter relief. I jump off the couch and run to him. As soon as my skin touches his, my lips touch his, and I feel broken connections weaving together, so quickly and so tightly, that it's as if it could catch fire. I feel as if the world goes black around me, and all I can think about is _him. _His dark, raspy voice I learned to love before he even knew who I was, and what significance I'd have on his life. His warm touch that can send dark, cold shivers down my spine. I break the kiss and bury my face in his soft, greasy black hair, tangling my hands in the dark locks.

"I love you…" I whisper before I even realize I'm talking. "So damn much…"

Death leans down and whispers demandingly in my ear, "I know."

I run my hands up and down his massive biceps with no hesitation or shyness. I'll admit, I feel a bit awkward, but my heart hurts so much I can hardly mask my feelings. He tilts his head to the right, then props my legs against his form and carries me over to the couch. I swing my head over in that direction in a panic, only to realize that the others are gone.

Death and I are alone.

He sits down, setting his hands on my waist. I try to boldly set my lips on his, but hesitate. I don't know what to say, to feel, to_ do_… so I pull his as tight as I can to my chest and set my lips on the back of his neck. He growls in response, tucking my legs around his waist. Before I even feel it myself, I let out a short gasp in pleasure when he tugs on my hair, pulling my lips to his. I force any air out of my lungs that I can in order not to get caught up in the moment.

He pulls himself back, looking at me through playful eyes. "I want to be _sure _you remember."

I curl up in a ball against his chest. "Try me."

"What was the first thing you've heard me say?"

"It depends." I say in hardly a whisper, and so quick I'd be surprised if he caught it. "Whether you mean in the game, in which it would be simply 'no,' or the first thing I _heard _you say, which was, 'I'm not here to cause trouble,' when you broke into my school."

He pulls me closer. "What was the first thing I did to you that was, in any way… _romantic, _one might say." I can hear the awkward tension in his voice at the word. I have to hold back a giggle. Is he _embarrassed…? _

"A couple nights after you almost took my arm off. You came into my room while I was sleeping, took of your mask, and just… _stared. _Then you kissed the side of my head and left, and that was it."

He lets out a dark chuckle, setting his lips on the same side of my temple in the same way. "I presume you weren't asleep when this occurred, _Bilauta_?"

"Yeah… er, no…" I am now realizing that he had _no _idea I was awake. I blush crimson red.

"and lastly," He tangles his hands in my hair, yanking my head back gently, letting his lips hang centimeters, millimeters, _nanometers _away from mine, with a serious look. "When was the first time I told you I loved you?"

I lose myself in his eyes as they search for an answer in mine. With a shaky whisper, I quote, "'I love you more than anything on the face of the universe- or any universe for that matter… do… do you understand…?"

My eyes travel to Death's lips. He smiles and kisses me. I return the gesture with my hands against each side of his face. He mumbles a one-syllable word deep within the lowest part of his voice; I am positive it was a quiet "yes." Both of us take a long, deep breath at the same moment, which forces my chest against his. His growl reminds me of how protective he was over me, how protective he _is _over me.

I break the kiss and bury my face in his neck. "Death? I mumble as my lips 'accidentally' graze his jugular.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to visit with the others as well. Can we wait until… uhh.." I inwardly cringe in embarrassment. Death chuckles and picks me up bridal-style. I giggle deep in my throat and wrap locks of his hair around my finger. Even from here, I can hear Veil's quiet laughter, Raven and Daire's loud but playful screaming, Kyle's puns that make me laugh into Death's chest, and Sage and Azzazel's… well, silence. Death kicks the door open. The small section of library is lit subtly by candle and moonlight. Music is blaring from Veil's small phone.

"_It's 9 'o'clock, on the dot, at the spot, and I'm hanging with her friends again. Great taste, beautiful place, and you're fashionably late."_

I grin and feel the familiar fangirl zippyness rise in my stomach. Death lets me down, so I drag him by the wrist over to the couch, forcing us both to sit down. He chuckles.

"Peach!" Veil hollers in my direction, picking her phone up off of the table. The music stops, then starts again with two electric guitars in perfect harmony. I recognize the tune immediately, the tune of a song Veil used to play to make me fangirl over Death. My face drains of all color.

"Veil, shut it off." I say loudly, hoping my voice will drown out the first few lyrics.

"Nope! Don't you _remember?_ It's you and Death's song."

"That's why I want you to-"

"Don't shut it off, Veil." Death says, yanking me against his chest. "I want to hear this."

"_This love will set you free, from thoughts of yesterday. Now Death has come to claim your Beautiful remains…"_

I cringe in embarrassment once more, burying my face in my hands. Death leans down to my ear, whispering, "Surprisingly accurate, _Bilauta." _

"Shut up."

"W-"

"Shut up."

"Z-"

"_Shut. Up." _

To distract myself from my embarrassment, I listen into a separate conversation. "Veil. Come here." Strife says.

"What?"

"Come. I have an idea."

"I thought I smelled something burning."

"I love your sarcastic manner more than anything, _Mērē Vidrōhī._ Now come with me."

The two quietly exit the hectic room.

"Brother!" I hear War say from in front of me. He has his eyes directed toward the left side of my face. "Be civil."

Only now am I realizing Death is gently biting my earlobe. I squeal, blush, and jump away from him. I make eye contact with Daire, and she starts laughing. "Your face…"

"What's wrong with my face?" I mean to say it sternly, but it ends up as a high-pitched whisper.

"It's so fucking red…"

"Thanks for pointing it out, you asshole- Death!" I yell his name in annoyance when he pulls me onto his lap. War chuckles. Daire and Raven collapse laughing. Sage and Azzazel look at me, both laughing quietly.

"Death." We all look over to Strife and Veil, who are walking through the doorway with a large bottle. It is filled to the brim with a clear liquid. Veil sets down a tattered bag and starts pulling out multiple shot glasses, setting them on the table. Strife fills them up, sets the bottle down, and passes them out. Veil hands one to Death and I, saying quietly, "This will be interesting."

Strife raises his glass. What he says next warms my heart, and brings tears to my eyes, "To Zada's memory?"

"To Zada's memory!"

Death stands up with me, and we all clink our glasses together. Everyone drinks, but I hesitate. I've never had any sort of alcohol before. I down the contents before anyone can notice. I can't describe what it tastes like, for that's the last thing I remember.

xxxxxxxx

**Death **

"_I'M GERARD WAY, BITCHES!" _

I practically rip my hair out at the sight of my drunken mate. What in the nine hells she is rambling about, I have no idea, but it is funny as hell. Her speech is slurred as she holds a shot glass in one of her hands. The humans, after one shot, are completely out of it. Of course _my _drinks have _much _higher alcohol content than what would ever be legal on Earth.

Zada curls her legs up against me as she sits down, wrapping her arms around my waist. She brings her face dangerously close to mine with half closed eyes and says, "Hello, my little Halloween decoration."

I roll my eyes. "Hello."

She giggles, "I remember you," in a teasing voice.

"_Bilauta, _you will not remember a moment of this in the morning."

"What 'chu talkin' about?! I remember _everything!_"

"Really? What did you eat last?"

She gives a thoughtful look for a moment, shrugs, then lightly kisses the side of my face, "I don't give a fuck."

"Zada-"

"You need more alcohol." She laughs, picking up the bottle and handing it to me.

"You need sleep."

She runs her hands up the length of my waist and arms, leaning towards my ear and whispering, "Not without you,"

Sighing, I take a swig of the drink to cope with the arousal.

I set the bottle down as Daire and Raven start singing along to the song playing from Veil's device, drunkenly swaying from side to side with their arms around each other. I can't even begin to understand what they're saying- both because of their slurred speech and Zada distracting me with… everything in her disposal.

She rests her head on my chest, allowing her hands to brush against my belt. Zada, drunk, I _cannot _handle. I grab onto her hands and set them on the upper half of my torso. This is ineffective, of course, since she wraps her arms around my waist and pulls herself tight against my form. This is when a pile of humans fall against the table, breaking it into a thousand pieces. I was not watching, but from what I see, Azzazel was getting annoyed with Raven and Daire, so he and Kyle tackled them both. Sage is watching, laughing, along with my two younger brothers. War is chuckling lightly, but Strife is hysterical. He pulls Veil to her feet as she stumbles around, doing her best to understand what is going on around her.

"I think she needs some sleep." Strife laughs, turning his attention to me. "I'll get her sleeping and head out. You'll be the one to deal with seven hangovers."

"Along with my own." I grumble.

War, a few minutes later, takes Raven to her room. Sage and Azzazel fall asleep leaning against each other. Kyley passes out on a chair with her face buried in a pillow. Zada is still drunkenly kissing my shoulders and neck. When I come to my senses, I try and pick her up as gently as I can.

"I love you," She giggles. "I love you so fucking much, ya' bitch."

"and I you."

"and I you,"

"What?"

She lets out a high pitched laugh. I push the door open with my back, then close it behind us with my shoulder. I lie her down on her side of the bed, covering her with the silk black blankets. Turning to walk away, Zada grabs onto my wrist. "Yes?"

"Stay here," She pleads with loving eyes that silently mesmerize me.

"I am not going anywhere, I assure you." I say, gently sliding next to her. I had planned to check the house, make sure my brothers left, but I have a bigger priority.

Zada smiles and gently nuzzles my neck. "I'm tired." she sighs in a child like manner.

"I know, love. Just rest. You've had a long day."

"I want to be with you…"

"You always will be." I turn onto my side and look her straight in the eye. "Awake or not, alive or not, I will _always _be with you, and you will _always _be with me. Do you understand-?"

I now realize that she has fallen asleep to my words.

I chuckle slightly and pull her against my chest. She, in a passed out state, lies like a ragdoll in my arms. "I'm taking that as a 'yes.'"

Xxxxxxxx

**Kyle **

I wake up with a horrendous, undying headache. Using my hands to prop myself up, my ears start to ring and my vision blacks for a moment. I wait impatiently for it to return. When it does I see a library that is a complete catastrophe. Books are piled on the floor at the foot of each shelf. The table in the middle of the room is broken into a thousand shards of jagged oak and is drenched in vodka. Azzazel and Sage are sitting next to each other on a couch parallel from where I am sitting, fast asleep.

I groan in discomfort and bury my face in the seat. Deciding that it is not the best idea to just sit here with a massive hangover, I stand up, stumbling over the broken wood and glass and out the door. Everything is calm in the halls, and I hear a _faint _conversation upstairs.

"It was _not _the best of my ideas to get you intoxicated, _Bilauta._"

"Shut the hell up, asshole. What did I do?"

I chuckle at Zada as I start up the stairs.

"A better question would be what you did _not _do…" The two come into my sights after Death says this. Zada is sitting at the table with her face in her hands and a bowl of fruit in front of her. Death is standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. "But no matter. Your memory is back, is it not?"

"I know… I've never had to deal with a hangover, though. Plus, I'm underage."

The Horseman pauses for a moment, then continues, "No, you're not."

She turns to look at him, though pausing to make short eye contact with me. I smile. She does back, saying quietly, "Get over here." I tilt my head down and walk over to them, sitting next to Zada. Death smiles at me as he runs his hands down the length of Zada's arms. She looks up at him. "What do you mean, I'm not? When I left Earth, I was… eighteen…"

As she hesitates, Death says, "Time here is not the same as time on Earth. It is faster."

"How much faster?" I ask.

"Years here are decades on Earth."

Both humans in the room drop their jaws.

"How long have we…?"

"One year. Zada, you would be twenty nine. Though you will still have your youth, therefore nineteen. The same applies to you, Kyley."

"Huh… I'll be damned." I laugh slightly to relieve some tension.

"Just…"

"Are you alright?" Death asks her.

"Existential crisis…"

"You're fine, Peach." I tell her. "It's fine… my god, Death, do you have anything to help with this god damn hangover?"

"Yes, I do."

"Great. What?"

"Time."

I give him an annoyed look. 'Thanks. That helps a lot."

He chuckles very slightly. "Get some rest. Relax."

"Fineee," I groan, grabbing an apple and walking in the direction of my room. Zada and Death continue talking, but I don't listen. My ears ring so loudly, all I can think about is sitting down, lying down, sleeping. As I drag myself to my room, I take a bite of the little green fruit in my hand before I forget to. By the time I reach the door, only the core of the apple remains.

I walk in. The candlelight bounces off the walls, casting the room in gentle- and somewhat boring- light. My bed is not made, and dirty clothes are piled in the corner, and the wood floor is plastered in dirt and other impurities from the outside world.

Sighing, I set the apple core on the nightstand and sit down, feeling each individual muscle loosen and unwind. Not bothering to lace off my combat boots or take off my jacket, I pull the covers over me and lie down. It takes a few minutes to fall asleep, for my head threatens to catch fire, but I do eventually dip under the waves of consciousness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Death**

Zada had finished her breakfast and went back upstairs to rest. I figured that she had a horrible headache, and I would not blame her. So I spend, not even an hour, checking on the other humans and training alone. When I go upstairs, Zada is not in our bed.

Slightly confused, I search around the room for her. She is nowhere to be seen. "Zada?" I call. Nothing. Not even a breath. _Maybe she is in the bathroom. _I think to myself, walking to the door. When I open it, my heart sinks. Her forearms, wrists, and arms, are riddled with massive gashes. Blood is pooled around her on the floor, and she tucks a small knife to her chest. She is sleeping, and her expression says peaceful.

"Zada…" I whisper quietly, kneeling next to her. Setting two fingers against her neck, I let out a breath in relief upon feeling a pulse. Though it's abnormally faint.

Surprisingly calmly, I pry the knife out of her fingers and turn to the gauze in the cabinet next to me. I do my best to not touch the blood as I wipe it off and wrap her arms. She looks so peaceful… she didn't tell me that she was upset, nor did I sense it. I usually do…

I pick her up and walk out of the bathroom, ignoring the blood on the white tile floors. As soon as I set her down on the bed, she curls up in a ball with her arms tucked up against her form. I close my eyes for a mere moment, and when I open them, she is awake.

"Zada?"

She says nothing, looking away with tears in her eyes. I pull her chin back in my direction, forcing her to look at me. "Are you alright…?"

"Fuck off." She spits out.

This is when I realize.

"Ashlyn…" Her muscles tighten. "Ashlyn, why did you do this…?"

"You don't _care. _You only care because it's Zada's body, you fucking prick."

"No." I set my forehead against hers. "That's _not-"_

"Don't touch me."

"I will touch you either way, because you and Zada are one."

She growls in response, closing her eyes. When she reopens them, they are warm and loving. "Hi."

"A… Zada…?"

"Yeah. H- agh…" She cringes when she moves her arms. "Death? W-what… ? Why are my arms wrapped up?!"

"Zada, calm down."

"D… did _you _do this…?"

"No! Zada…" I sigh. "This was Ashlyn's doing. I hardly got to you two in time…"

"Why… why? Did she do it to hurt me?"

"No… I don't think so."

"Why… ugh. I'm too tired to care right now." Zada buries her face in the pillow and closes her eyes.

I stare at her for a long moment, studying her form. She looks so _helpless…_

"I can't sleep." She says as she throws the blankets off of her and standing up, storming out of the room.

Xxxxxxxx

**Zada**

Despite pain _everywhere _within my upper torso, I walk downstairs and head towards the training room. I'm angry with Ashlyn for doing this to me, I'm angry with Death because he left me alone with the psychopath inside my head, and I'm angry with my hangover.

"Zada?" Veil says as she rubs her eyes, yawning from being asleep. I silently walk past her, accidentally bumping her shoulder and hissing in pure pain. This stirs me into a sprint. I yank open the double doors. Just as they click shut, I tightly grip a pair of light scythes with wooden handles. The inside of my palms burn, but I ignore it and approach a small dial on the wall in the corner of the room. I twist it so the tip is facing _Melee Simple, _and turn around.

A completely black figure stands before me with a pair of flaming blue scythes in its hands. Without a doubt, I've been horrible at this since the day Death showed me it, but I still try. I want to be able to defend myself. "Damsel in distress" is such bull shit. Sitting around helplessly, waiting for someone to come for me, is not realistic. It never is, and will never be.

"I can do this." I mutter, tightening my grip on the wooden handles.

The form stalks toward me in a similar manner that Death did in the game when he was pissed off. I jump to the side as it throws one half of the scythe at my head. The vision weapon embeds itself deep into the wall. I run towards it, crossing the blades so the half in my left hand is above the one in my right. The figure tries to twist the one that was meant to take its head off, but I grip it tighter and tuck my legs up, kicking it with my right foot square in the chest. It lets go of my scythe and falls to the ground. Somewhat awkwardly, I push down on my knees to add more force onto the figure's ribcage.

I hear a loud crack, the figure stops struggling, and sinks into the ground.

I sigh and rest on the ground for a while to catch my breath. I return to the dial, and this goes on for a long while. Death doesn't come find me for a minimum of two hours, even though I'm sure that he knows I'm here. Though of course, I can't get my hopes up, for he is Death.

I can feel him coming up behind me, halfway through the day. Knowing that I couldn't do anything to hurt him, I playfully swing around and throw the scythe at him. In a split second, it is in his hand above his head. I smile awkwardly and giggle, "Hi."

"Hello." He sets the scythe up against the wall and approaches me. I stand timidly in front of him with my shoulders tucked up. "Who am I speaking with?"

"Zada. Ehm, it's me."

"Good. I have a potion to heal your wounds."

I gulp and say, "Alright…"

He stands dangerously close, tilting his head toward mine. I stand my ground, despite how much I want to move and relieve the tension. Death bends down slightly, grabbing onto my hands and setting them onto the green bottle, along with his own. I let out a shaky breath, but refuse to move. He moves his thumb to the cork, looks me in the eye, and flicks it off. I lift it out of his hands and close my eyes, downing the entire contents.

I whimper as my skin shifts underneath the gauze, but ultimately the pain fades. "Okay. I'm fi-"

The seductive look in his eyes melts my heart. For some reason, all I want, all I can _think _about, is _him. _Of course in a way that I'm not quick to think about, but now I can't stop. I awkwardly clear my throat and tilt my head down as he sets his hands on my waist. When I look back up, minutes later, his lips gently touch my ear. I flinch away out of habit.

"What?" He sighs contently, trailing the kisses from my ear to my neck.

"N… no-nothing… I…" I let out a yelp when he bites my shoulder. "Nothing. I… It's nothing."

He takes a deep breath, moving his hands ot the underside of my thighs and picking me up, pressing my back against the far wall of the training room. My heart jumps, and I move to the side in discomfort. He drags his teeth from my shoulder to my lips, teasingly biting my lower lip and pulling it away from my teeth.

I haven't wanted him so much… well, _ever. _

"What… what did you... do…" I gasp pleadingly, tilting my head back and exposing more of my neck to him. "What… did you do to me…"

"Nothing." He growls.

"M...my chest…" He bites harder, and my entire form bursts in longing. I can feel it in the pit of my stomach. "I-It burns…"

"I know…" Death says, pushing me tighter against the wall and ripping my skin with his teeth. I let out a scream, whimper, growl, and everything between with pure pain-filled pleasure. "I feel it too…"

"W…" I can't get my thoughts out without the internal pain cutting me off. "D…"

"Zada…"

"Why…"

"We have to stop…" I dig my nails into his back. The idea sounds heavenly, to relieve the knot in my stomach, but the arousal is just too god damn much.

"N…" I breathe faster and sink back down to his level, using my legs to pull him closer. "I… I want you…"

"Zada." He sucks in a massive breath and brings his hands from my legs to my hair, pulling _so _tightly…

I can't cope with it. I let out a scream. "I… _need…_"

"_No… _Zada… I… I can't control…" Death growls somewhat angrily in my face, only to continue kissing me.

I don't know what made me say it, but I choke out a quick, "Good."

He lets out a sound within the lowest region of his throat, which almost sounds like purring to me. "R…"

I dig my nails deeper into his skin, then start to pull. "D-Death… I… _need… you…_"

"R… _run…_"

"I don't… want to…"

"Zada… t… the… Council… is…" He gives up on what he was saying and slips his tongue into my mouth. _Never _has he been _this _bold, and I can hardly stand it. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him so tightly, neither of us can breathe. I end up holding my breath for so long, everything starts to whirl around me.

When he pulls back, I whimper, because the knot won't go away. He breaks the kiss completely, setting both his hands on the side of my face. "Listen to me. The _Council… _they know… you're here… and they're trying to… get me to kill you…"

This snaps me out of the arousal, but I can still feel the knot that draws me toward him. My back cracks multiple times from the force of his chest against mine. Death starts pulling at the skin shielding my throat. I press my teeth together so tightly I feel like they could break. I have to push him away. I _have to…_

"Death. Stop."

He growls in response, pulling tight on my leggings.

"Stop. You have to… stop… please…"

Suddenly, he breaks all physical contact with me completely, dropping me six feet onto the ground.

I hit the concrete with a thud, followed by a groan in pain. blood is dripping down my neck, and the red substance is on Death's teeth as well. This makes the arousal fade completely, along with the knot. Suddenly, Death breaks all physical contact with me and dropping me six feet to the ground. I collapse, followed be a groan in pain and relief as the knot fades.

"Death…" I gasp quietly, looking up at him through the corner of my eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asks, kneeling down in front of me and setting a hand on my shoulder. As soon as he does, arousal floods though me. I close my eyes and take in a sharp inhale of his scent. Prickles shoot down my spine as he reluctantly slides his hand down from my shoulder to the tips of my fingers, eventually releasing me. My feelings return to normal, as if nothing happened.

"What's going on?" I ask without making eye contact. It hurts like hell to talk.

"The Council has done something to me. I hadn't known, and when I touched you… I could not stop." Death tells me. I blush, though the situation is completely inappropriate. "How is your neck?"

I feel the gashes against my skin. There's one dangerously close to my jugular, and the other bulges at the center of my throat. I cringe in pain, but it's not as bad as what it could've been. "'s okay." I say simply and non-articulately.

"We must get it healed. Come." He opens his hand, suggesting for me to take it, but I just stand without assistance. He gives a small, pity of a smile, and follows me out the door. I walk to a room filled with various health potions, some stronger than others. Death shuffles past me, gently brushing my shoulder with his elbow unintentionally. I gasp at the sudden turn on, but then bite my lip in embarrassment as his lack of reaction. Quite casually, Death looks through the potions and grabs one on the second to top shelf. He turns back to my direction and carefully hands it to me, being sure to not make any form of physical contact. I uneventfully take a quarter of the contents, and this time I can hardly feel the skin shifting and winding back together.

When I turn back around and set it on a table, Death says with an inward curiosity, "Switch to your tiger."

"Why?"

"The Council does not know of your other forms. It is possible that the affects are not as noticeable. Try. I _must _be able to touch you." Sighing, I switch forms and let out a huff of breath, sitting down in front of his legs. He kneels down. "I am merely going to set my hand on your shoulder. That is all. Are you ready?"

I nod my head and block my thoughts from him. If he is wrong, the affects are the same and our minds are connected, then I think both of us will lose it.

Hesitantly, Death sets his hand against me. I feel nothing- everything is normal. He gives a wide smile- one I do not see all that often- and starts rubbing my back. "I suppose…" He mutters, but does not finish his thought.

I curl up against his form. I like this. I don't feel pressured to do anything that makes me feel self-conscious or uncomfortable. I can just sit with him. "Come." Death says. "We must warn the others and prepare them. Watchers are most likely coming very soon."

I nod and run with him out the door. He heads toward Raven's room, and I find Veil first sitting in the kitchen and eating my leftover breakfast to conserve food. "Hi, Peach. Why are you your tiger?" She asks.

I switch back to my human form so I can speak. "Watchers. They're coming. Hurry, we have to get out of the open-"

Glass shatters around us. The sound catches both of us off guard to the point where we collapse in a pool of shattered glass. Before I can even think to react, I feel a cold hand against the back of my neck. A wet cloth is pressed to my mouth and nose. I don't recognize the smell, but it's _not _water, and it's making me loopy. My vision blurs, and everything fades into a swirl of darkness.

Xxxxxxxx

**Raven**

"What do you want, Death? I'm trying to sleep." I mutter an annoyance when the Horseman bursts through the door.

"The Council knows you ate here. Do not question me until you are in a safe position. Get up, and meet the others in the-"

A massive crash erupts in the direction of the kitchen.

"-cellar…" Death finishes his thought and starts in the direction of the crash. I jump out of bed and peek around the corner of the doorframe, watching as he slips his mask on as he walks. I turn back around to face my room. As soon as I do, I see a red Watcher standing before me. In a split second, it is behind me and holding a cloth to my face. I black out, feeling the effects of the drug almost instantly.

x-

I wake up with a sulfurous stench and completely impute air choking my lungs. I cough uncontrollably. When I open my eyes, I only see one color in my visually impaired state- that color being a dark maroon.

In the court of the Charred Council once more.

…Fuck.

A Watcher comes by and rattles the jail cell door. Fuck me, I'm in a jail cell again! I search around in a panic to make sure that no one is with me, and I am definitely alone. My sigh in relief is cut off when I see an unconscious figure in the cell parallel from me with blue and purple highlights, cast in ninety percent shadows. I instinctively try and move toward her, but then I realize I have the same problem as she. My hands are shackled above me, being held in midair and keeping me from resting my muscles.

As if an answer to my silent plea, Zada's eyes snap open.

"Peach?"

She does nothing. Not even a normal flinch.

"Raven? Is that you?"

"Veil!" I whisper frantically. "Thank gods…"

"Where are the others?" Veil asks from the cell next to me. "Daire? Sage? _Kyle?_"

"Filthy, ignorant humans." A high, raspy voice hisses from outside in the hall. "None of the other humans are here… not yet."

"You son of a bi-"

"Veil, _don't._" I mutter, loud enough for her cursing to be drown out.

"No! Fuck you. If you wanted all of us, why didn't you take us when you had the chance?"

"You will be the first to die because of your relations with the Horsemen."

My heart sinks. _War…._

"And the best part? You will die a slow, painful death-" I see Zada cringe _so _slightly, I almost miss it. The Watcher sees it as well, leaning down toward her head, gripping the bars, hissing smugly, "-by starvation, and dehydration." Zada gives off a hateful glare that sends shivers of fear down my spine. The creature just laughs and continues pacing in front of us three. "You may socialize all you wish, it makes no difference to me. Just be aware of the fact that each and every thing _you_ say, _I _will hear. If you do _anything _that suggests escape, I have the right to take this"- it holds up a small, rusty dagger, "-and rip your jugular apart, so you will still die, though a quicker, slow and painful _death._ Am I understood?"

It turns to Veil first. She hisses angrily, "Yes."

I am next. "Y-yes… yeah."

Zada says nothing when the Watcher turns to her. "Am I understood?" It repeats. Still, nothing. It turns away for a split second, only to whip back around and throw the knife at her. I cringe and almost scream when it rips apart the right side of her face, leaving a massive gash from _right _under her eye to the side of her chin.

I am utterly astonished when, after that, she doesn't make a sound. Though she starts shaking and nods.

"Good."

Xxxxxxxx

"Do you think they'll try to come for us this time, Raven?" Veil asks me.

"No." There's nothing they can do, there's nothing _we _can do, even if any of us tried."

"That is right, human." There is nothing they can do for you, so do not even bother to try- _what the hell?!"_

Sure enough, Zada is gone, with the chains that once were holding up her hands swinging methodically from side to side.

\


	13. Chapter 13

**Death**

I rush into the kitchen and everything is surprisingly calm. The glass windows are shattered, and broken glass is scattered on the floors and tables, but everything is calm. "Death?" I hear my brother, War, say. I turn around as he walks across the floor with a crunch with each step. "What has happened here?"

"Come I must assure everyone is here." War walks down the stairs, into the cellar. Glancing at the humans, I see Kyley, then Sage, Azzazel, Daire- and no one else.

"Where's Za-"

"Raven-?"

"Veil?!"  
Strife stands behind us, and the words get scrambled together to the point where they don't make sense. Though I think nothing of it. I am worried for Zada. The Watchers, they must've taken the three to the Council…

"They never came down here." Daire explains. "We thought they were with you."

"No… they're not… Now the Council has them."

"Dammit…" War and Strife say in unison.

"You have to go find them." Kyle demands.

"Despite how much I'd like to… I cannot."

"What?"

"Death, we cannot sit here waiting for their return, in which will never come."

"Be reasonable, War. The Council knows they have the potential to escape-"

"_We _broke them out." Strife cuts me off.

"I know. The Council does not, though. This means their security will be much higher. If anything, they're expecting us."

"Then what else _can-" _

"We send Azrael. The Council trusts the angel, and I trust he can bring them back safe."

They all nod after thinking it through.

"I will go contact him. War, Strife, you stay here and make sure no Watchers come back. Oh, and by the way… _neither _of you make _any _physical contact with the humans… or each other. Yes, _make sure _you do _not _make physical contact with each other."

"W-"

"Just _don't. _You'll regret it." Before they can try and retaliate again, I'm out the door.

xxxxxxxx

**Raven**

"Where has she gone?!" The Watcher hisses at me quietly, banging its hands against the my cell door.

"I swear to you, I do not know." I say, doing my best to portray my confusion. Where _did _she go...?

It stops, pauses, and laughs, pulling another dagger out of its jacket-though this one is even more rusted and old. "It's a fortunate deal that I have extras, then. Zada, dear," It calls teasingly, "Come out, love, or your little Veil is first."

It stands right in the middle of the bars with its back against it. This is when I realize that she is still in the cell, just cast in shadows. *Go. Do it now, or you'll miss your chance!* I silently plea, though knowing that she will not hear me.

She acts as if she does, though.

Silently, she jumps into the light, wrapping one arm around the Watchers neck and the other clamping over its invisible mouth. She takes the dagger in her hand and runs it in a horizontal line across its face, then another to form the same X that is forever embedded into her small hand. After a sudden jolt of momentum in her forearm that snaps its neck, Zada jumps up and yanks down the two chains that were shackling her arms, looping them through the bars. Eventually, the creature is hanging by its neck a few feet into the air, sea blue blood dripping from the jagged X formed on its face.

Zada kneels down and slides the dagger through the bars and into the hall. As soon as she does, she switches to her Tiger and clamps down on the lock that is holding the gate together, violently shaking it until it pops open. She pushes it open, and within a few short minutes, breaks both the locks to mine and Veil's cells.

Upon switching into a human, she whispers, "Switch into your angel forms. Your wrists are smaller and will slide through."

I do as she says, and feel a wave of relief when it works. My wrists slip through the cuffs. Relieved as hell, I walk out of my cell at the same moment as Veil. We look at each other and laugh to relieve tension. Zada, though, is still pissed. She grips the dagger so tightly in her left hand, her knuckles turn white. In small letters, she carves these words, glowing blue, into the Watchers chest:

_Try and find us now._

Zada drops the knife with a soft clatter. "Hoods." She says, flipping Veil's hood up, then mine, and finally her own. She looks the most terrifying out of all of us, for the hood is just covering her eyes and the gash against the right side of her face looks like a bloody tear.

"Now what?" Veil asks.

Zada looks around for a moment, then starts down the barely lit corridor. We follow uneasily, and stop with her completely when we hear the booming voice of the Council.

"**What is your reasoning for standing before us, Azrael?" **

"It is nothing of major importance. My only intention is teaching a small group of my scholars of the jail cells of the Charred Council. Education purposes only."

"**Very well. We trust your intentions are **_**only **_**for education." **

"Of course. Students, come."

Azrael, the character from the first Darksiders, walks toward the door separating the court and the prison. The angel makes eye contact with me. The cold white eyes remind me of War… and I can't look away….

"_Raven. _We have to run!"

Azrael looks down, allowing me to spin around and run. A few minutes go by of silence, besides the sound of footsteps and our ragged breathing as we run. Suddenly Veil just stops, and from the corner of my looks as if she was catapulted backward. I spin around in a panic, while Zada turns around casually, as if nothing happened. Veil is being held up from the collar of her shirt by the angel.

"Let her go." Zada snaps confidently, though anger being no lesser than that.

"Death has sent me to come for you." Azrael says, gently setting Veil on her feet. She stumbles back towards us, rubbing her neck with an angry look. "I will send you home-"

"_**AZRAEL!"**_

"Hurry." He opens a bright white portal in the middle of the hallway, sparking with energy. The three scholars Azrael had brought with him walk through first- three beautiful angelic women with massive white wings, hair, and gowns. Veil goes next, then, I and finally a cold Zada and a calm Azrael.

Everything is white upon walking through. I can see nothing, and my ears ring uncontrollably. There is a massive crash that vibrates the ground. My knees give out, my head cracks against the floor, and everything swirls into darkness.

xxxxxxxx

**Zada**

I snap my eyes open. A small room awaits me. Azrael is standing over me and tending to the wound on my face. I flinch away as he pours a stinging liquid onto it. All I can see in my right eye is a liquidy green.

"Be calm, child. It is a health potion."

"Hurry up." I snap. "I have to check on Veil and Raven."

"Very well- they are fine. They are more worried about you, though."

"Joyous. Allow me to relieve their tension, then. Can I go now?"

"Yes."

I jump up and walk out the door. On the outside, I see a bridge-like hallway suspended over a chasm, the walls being made up of hundreds of shelves that house thousands of books. Angels are flying around, setting books in specific places and taking them out.

The amount of people makes me uncomfortable. Making a split decision, I turn around and return to Azrael. "Where are they?"

The angel chuckles, "The stairs at the end of the hall. You will find them down there."

"Thanks."

I walk out the door, flipping my hood up as I go. Hesitantly, I step onto the platform hallway. When it holds my weight, I continue on with a fast pace, gripping the beautifully carved railing tightly. Sure enough, on the other side, there is a spiral staircase leading both upstairs and downstairs. I start downward. By the time I reach the bottom, my head is spinning.

"Peach!" Veil yells. She and Raven hug me as tightly as they possibly can. I close my eyes and use my right arm to hug them both back. _I _did this. _I _saved us, and I didn't need any help, besides transportation.

I'm _never _letting someone else try and save me again. Not without a fight, anyway.

They both let me go, and Raven says, "How's your eye? it looks better."

"Uh, yeah. It's fine."

"I wonder how Death will react." Veil adds.

My breath hitches. I never thought about that… how would he react to the scar? Pros and cons run through my head to the point where I can't even predict what will happen.

"Peach? You okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Really I just… I don't know _how _he'll react."

"It'll be fine. He wasn't mad when you did it to yourself. Not a lot, anyway."

"I know… but this is the first one I've gotten from battle, trying to protect myself.I don't want him to be mad."

Veil sighs and wraps her arms around my shoulders letting her hair fall over her face. "He won't be mad. If anything, He'll be proud."

I smile, feeling a bit better about the situation. My heart sinks when I hear a conversation occurring a few feet away from me between two male angels.

"Are those the humans?"

"Yes. Azrael brought them back seconds before the portals collapsed. I heard him talking to someone yesterday, and he said the girl with her hood up broke all of them out of the cells in the Charred Council's prison."

"That's not possible!"

"Peach?" Veil asks. I look over to her and smile as she starts talking about something. I continue listening to the angels.

"-Council's prisons have bars made out of metal no where to be found on Earth, and is stronger than all Earth metals-"

"-combined. Yes, I know. I don't know how she did it. And that's the mystery."

I block out that conversation, only to pick up another one. "Zada. Zada Ashby, Veil Hero, Raven Star. When I went to the Council with Azrael, they told us all about the Horsemen's missions. They had to kidnap them off Earth." The female lowers her voice slightly. "I heard all of them had an affair with the Horsemen."

I stop and turn my attention to Veil. "Why are they all talking about us?" I murmur, hoping that no one will hear me.

"Because no human has broken out of the Charred Council's prisons." Azrael says quietly from behind me. The library falls uncomfortably silent.

"I learned from the best." I say, shyly pulling my sleeves over my hands.

"Is that so? Well then, the 'best' wants to speak with you. Come."

The judging eyes of the angels makes me angry to the point where I glare at the ones who dare make eye contact with me. Eventually they all stop.

We return to the room I woke up in. Walking through the door, I see another white portal. Anxiety overpowers me until Azrael says, "The portals are shut down by the Council's hand, but visual imaging is still permitted."

"Zada? Veil? Raven?"

...Dammit.

"I'm here." I mutter, standing in front of the portal. I tilt my head away, though, so Death can't see my face.

"Zada? What is the matter? Show me your face."

My heart beats loudly in my ears in panic, but Raven intervenes for me, "Don't push her, Death."

He sighs, "Are you all well?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Veil answers. "We'd still be in the there if it weren't for Zada."

"Honestly. She took the dagger from her cell and slit the Watcher's neck."

"…Why was there a dagger in her cell?"

"Raven! Stop. Talking." I sigh, burying the bad side of my face in my hand.

"Zada… tell me if they hurt you…"

"I… I'll tell you later. When I see you. We're coming."

"What? No, Zada, I will come get you."

"and do what? You can't touch any of us... not at the moment. I presume War and Strife are the same. We'll come to you. How to we get there?"

"I want you to be safe…"

"You've trained me for a _year. _All three of my forms- I think we can handle it."

" , all you must do is, when you step out of the realm you are in, just continue on in that direction. You will reach the Tree of Life. There will be someone there waiting for you. Do you understand?"

I make eye contact with him through the corner of my eye. Death is standing in our room, his mask on and a concerned expression in his eyes. I want to turn the rest of the way. To show him the scar. But I _can't… _

"I understand." Veil and Raven start pulling me out the door. "I'll see you in a few days. I promise."

A faint "Be careful" escapes his lips just as we exit.

xxxxxxxx

"Take these," Azrael hands us each a medium sized white backpack. "They contain food, weapons, and other tools that might come in handy while travelling."

I sling the backpack over my shoulders. "Thank you," Raven says quietly, then catches up with us when she realizes Veil and I have already started walking. "So," She laughs, wrapping her left arm around my neck and her right around Veil's. "This should be fun."

"If by 'fun' you mean 'running for our lives' then yes." I mutter.

"That's exactly it, you sarcastic moron."

"Yeah. Lighten up, Peach. Is everything alright? As in… between you and Death and all?" She asks hesitantly, lowering the volume of her voice.

"I'm fine."

"Then why are you acting so… us-on-Earth?"

"I'm not." I chuckle. "I'm tired. Still a little anxious, and I'd just like to go home."

"Yeah… Do you want to try flying? It'd be good practice."

"Yes!" Raven blurts out.

I think about it for a moment. I've never been good at flying, but I've always enjoyed it. Plus, it would get us home faster. "Okay. Yes, I'll do it."

They both smile excitedly, switching into their angel forms. They tower over me, so I swich as well. As soon as I so, they both widen their eyes and hold their breath, but say nothing. "…what?"

"Ehm… I'm starting to think the Council's weapons are stronger than we had expected."

"What- no." I bring my hand to my face, feeling a massive divit underneath my eye.

"It looks fine."

"I don't care if it looks fine or not… just Death."

Veil sighs, "I'm going to prove to you everything is fine."

She and Raven catapult themselves into the air. Slightly panicking, I do the same, awkwardly flapping my wings until the wind catches them, and I glide. Wind rushes past my ears so quickly I can't hear a thing. To relieve the tension, I pull my hands around my ears and push on them. Death told me that, for all angels, it relieves the effects of being at such a high elevation.

I look down at the ground. The angels from here look like gnats. The gate separating civilization from densely wooded terrain flies behind us.

"Can you hear me?" Veil asks as loud as she can.

"We can hear you fine. Stop yelling."

In a playful manner, se retaliates, "Okay thanks!"

Raven laughs, holding her arms out the span of her wings.

An hour goes by uneventfully. I end up sticking my hands in my pockets and flying with my arms tucked up against my form as I watch over the skies. All I can think about is Death. All I _want _to think about is Death. It puts me in a peaceful place in my mind that I can find nowhere else.

Suddenly, my peace is interrupted by a sharp pain enveloping my left wing. Veil and Raven both holler in pain. I look back at my wings, to find both are engulfed in flames.

"Dammit."

"Zada!" Raven starts to fell. For her, the situation is much worse- both wings are up in flames.

"Both of you. Switch forms, and wait for me to tell you to switch back."

Surprisingly, they do not question and switch at the exact same moment, then drop like rocks. My stomach flies into my throat as I plummet towards the ground in my human form. In a panic that I'll forget to say it, I blurt out, "NOW!" much earlier than I could have with us still being safe. Too late to change it, I switch once more into the angel form. My wings are put out, thank goodness, but they're charred and smoking. My Pteronophobia is relieved when I see no feathers anywhere on them. Though being in this state, catching the wind is excruciatingly painful. We all awkwardly tumble into the ground.

Veil and Raven shift back to humans to relieve the pain within their extra limbs. I turn into my Tiger. They kneel down and dig through their backpacks in search for a weapon. I look around and watch angrily as two massive demons approach us- one with a bow in one hand and a handful of arrows in the other.

"Hello, girls." The one on the left sneers, seductively showing its teeth. I growl back, stepping in front of the two as they pull out weapons that are folded up to fit in the pack. "See, all we have to do now is take 'em back to Samael."

"Yep. Come on, guys, let's just go and meet our inevitable deaths."

"Your sarcasm is unneeded, Veil." Raven mutters.

"Sarcasm is always needed!"

"Are we going to argue about this now?"

"You're the one who intervened!"

I turn around and roar in their direction to shut them up. Sure enough, they stop. The demons laugh as I bend down and prepare myself to pounce. Before they can draw another breath, I'm pinning the demon with the arrows to the ground. It growls, dropping all but one arrow.

What happens next happens so quickly, I can hardly register it. A thump sounds above me, my side right underneath my ribs start to burn in one specific point, and then a heavy weight is dropped on my form. I can't breathe.

"Zada!"

As I strggle to move out from between the two demons, I roar in response. "Raven. You pull her out. I'll move the demon."

They count to three in unison, and then my form is jolted out to the side. All tension is relieved beside the one in my side. Looking down, I see the arrow embedded into my stomach. Veil walks over to that side of me. "Raven, go look around the area for anyone else. I'll give her a potion."

I hear her footsteps fade.

Veil repeats two consistent words, "I'm sorry" as she yanks the arrow out of my stomach. I let out a roar that could potentially be heard a mile away.

_Death! _I think frantically. _Are you there?! Please... answer me… _still, nothing. I sigh and forget about it for the moment, too tired and racked with pain to care.

"Hang on, Peach." Veil pulls off her backpack. After looking through frantically for a moment, she pulls out the familiar green potion, but in a different, more futuristic looking container that looks like it came from a sci-fi movie back on Earth. Veil unscrews the cap and pours a portion onto my wound- followed by a pain filled roar- and the rest in my mouth. The pain is relieved.

"The area is clear." Raven says as she kneels down on the other side of me. "is she okay?"

"She'll be fine. We have potions."

"Good."

I curl my form into a tight ball. Raven and Veil lie down, one on each side of me, as they declare that they're going to sleep. I won't. Not yet. I want to hear Death's voice. As I stare into the starless sky, at an abnormally orange full moon, I think, _Death… if it were possible, I'd threaten to kill you when I get home for not listening. Hello?_

_Zada?_

I let out a puff of air in amusement. _Now you answer. _

His voice, despite being a echo in both of our minds, sounds husky and dull. _My apologies, _Bilauta, _I was getting some rest. _

_You should have waited for me. _I tease.

_Don't start with your drunken speech. How are you and the others?_

I ultimately decide _not _to tell him that I've almost died already and reply, _It's going fine. We just stopped for the night. _

_That is good. I recommend you rest. _

_I know… but I can't until I make sure of this… can I ask you a favor? _

Death doesn't reply for a long moment, but then breaks the awkward silence with, _Of course. _

…_when you see me… _I feel a send of urgency in his mind, as if he were moving closer to me. I sigh, bury my face in my paws, and quickly finish, _I look… different. So don't go all crazy. I mean, I don't think you would. But…_

_Why do you look different? What happened? Did someone hurt you? _

_Nevermind. I take back my previous statement. _

_Zada._

_You'll find out soon. Just don't be angry… it's far dead, anyway. _

_Who-_

_Please. _

…_Alright. _He reluctantly agrees.

_Thank you. _

I switch to my human form with the intention of getting up and walking off for a while to get my thoughts straight. Unfortunately, I can't. In her sleep, Veil throws an arm over my ribs. I sigh and roll onto my side, facing an unconscious Raven. Closing my eyes self consciously, I toss and turn for a few hours before drifting off into the depths of my mind.

**A/N: Hellow :D I hope you like the chapter. Might be a while until my next update- I just finished this one XD **


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